EVO (Paul Evans/Paul Evo) is the guy from UK non-conformists Warfare and ALGY (Ward) is the original Tank bassist and founder. Based on their past history, I would expect a brash and harsh release, which you get in places. The release has 6 tracks, 3 are covers, 3 are original.
‘Anger, Violence, Hatred’ really hits the spot, Algy shares vocal duties here, the rasp, the snarl is pleasing as it the dirty sound coming from the guitars. ‘Nosferatu’ is a weird one. If you know some of Thunderstick’s tunes, it’s like that, a punked up groovy bass line crossing swords with the rocky horror show soundtrack, bouncy, madcap and odd. The electric violin inclusion is also a mystery here as it doesn’t do anything, for me at least. ‘Doomed at Dodes’ is another boogie rock n roll anti-establishment number, raw, energetic and a touch more pleasing that ‘Nosferatu’.
As for the covers, ‘R.A.M.O.N.E.S.’ is a Motorhead tune, pretty similar in stance to the original, ‘Tune to the Music’ was originally done by Status Quo but my favourite for the lyrics is ‘Know Your Product’ (by The Saints – Ward used to play bass for these between ‘77 and ‘79). A fuck you song about reality shows like X Factor (obviously updated!), pinpointing the soulless reality TV and music business as is so popular now (cheap TV I say!). The song comments about these people who go on these shows just saying what you’re told to say and who give shallow shout outs and thank you messages, whilst smiling sweetly for the camera, all in the name of what other people want or expect you to be like and say. EVO ALGY say where’s the anger, they’re not wrong there. These guys have lived and breathed the music industry, I suppose the harder/real way and everything isn’t or wasn’t spoon fed to you. By doing so you sell out completely. But hey, this is the shit we are engrossed in on the gogglebox nowadays isn’t it!
This is not meant to be a Tank or Warfare record, it’s a collaboration between two friends, thus, fans of both bands may be interested for completeness, but don’t expect a similar stance to those two aforementioned bands, you are not going to be “Struck By Lightning” whilst “burning down the kings road”. ‘Damned Unto Death’ is ok for what it is, it’s not something to jump up and down about but maybe a release for fans interested in the two members previous works.
(6.5/10 Paul Maddison)
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