The Murder Capital - When I Have Fears

The record opens with ‘For Everything’, a violent sonic assault featuring hauntingly gargantuan diving feedback. The drums pummel away, driving a titanic screeching soundscape. Ominous doom- punk with parts of grungey-spacious indie rock. A formidably thunderous racket from start to finish. The percussion work is particularly outstanding- compounded by the rolling bass – the rhythm relentlessly drives forwards below the airy guitar parts.  Four minutes into Green & Blue, ‘I failed you’ gently rings out to a heavily effected glacier-like guitar, while another 80s chorused guitar slides in, creating a relief from suspense.

The whole album combines sounds from a handful of bands past and present – the melodic guitar work could be drawn in comparison to a great number of diluted post-punk indie bands favouring clean reverb. In terms of contemporaries, a familiarity to IDLES (or even Shame) can be felt- but it has more edge, more threat and an ethereal quality that the Bristolians (and Londoners) lack. The use of cello on Slowdance II is perfect- it cuts in at the end of the track, creating a vivid impression of Victorian horror, inducing a sublime quality of Lovecraftian fear.

The middle section is truly the calm before the storm, before long the Dublin punk-rockers propel themselves back into the fray with ‘Feeling Fades’. Followed by ‘Don’t Cling to Life’ which, unfortunately feels a bit too bright, sauntering instead into the domain of indie-pop. The edge drops off a bit at the expense of the energy. A calmer touch is placed on the penultimate track, after wreaking destruction, the post-punk four piece hang their guitars up in place of a piano and strained, muffled vocals.

In the final track – Love Love Love – The Murder Capital leave gaps in places a lot of bands can feel uncomfortable doing, yet these empty spaces are what gives their songs power. Rivalling Savages with their nail-on-chalkboard guitars, this band have suspense and excitement in spades.