I almost gave this one a pass as it is the second release by The Joy Thieves in a very short time and just a 4 track EP. There’s only so much you can say about a band no matter how many members they have in them (and the Joy Thieves have plenty). Then again, all proceeds from this are, courtesy of band and label, going to the ACLU (see link at bottom) and it is a form of musical unrest about “the ongoing inequality that seems to be everywhere around us.” One thing that is a constant at the moment is disgust at the way the current epidemic has been handled by those in (so called) control and power, the wealthy elite and those cloistering themselves in relative safety while the herd get infected (New Zealand being a rare exception). Unfortunately, we have certainly seen in the UK that the herd are stupid but many of us have seen between the lies we are being force fed and are waiting and watching with serious foreboding on what is going to happen next. Genocidal Love Song was put together in the height of the first wave and lockdown personally spurred by Dan Milligan from the group due to “the governmental policies of the state of Iowa, and their complete lack of regard for the safety of their own citizens.” With the loss of a family member being a further sad catalyst for Milligan, what we have here is as much a cry of discontent, despair and anger as much as a song itself.
Luckily a very good mouthpiece is in the ranks and able to communicate this well and after brooding electronic beats hone in, it is up to Chris Connelly to spit out his vitriol. Huge beats and an industrial backbone that cites Nine Inch Nails add urgency here and there’s plenty of disgust making me hope the vocalist was behind plastic shielding as he literally spits his parts out. Basically, it’s a thumping diatribe with a big impact even if it is only just over 3 and a half minutes. Of course, there is more once you have recovered and first up are mixes of a couple of tracks from the last release. ‘The Badlander’ has knobs twiddled by Gordon Young (Children On Stun / Dream Disciples) and pumps out twitchy and highly danceable beats and melody that instantly came back from the last time I heard the song. Connelly’s vocals are again the perfect accompaniment and all we need is a safe zone to twist and turn along to it pumped out via a massive sound system. Unfortunately, at this point in time illegal raves are not big and clever, m’kay! I really like the new mix of last single, cheekily entitled I Blew A New Girl from Howie Beno (Depeche Mode / Blondie) and Brandt Gassman (The Aggression). It has A Blue Girl strutting her stuff via Dancehall, dub and at the chorus one of the most infectious synth lines that didn’t escape from an Ibiza party making it a near perfect hit for a hot summer, if only we had something to smile about that is. One listen and you will be hooked and the spirit will at least be partly freed and lifted. Last up Milligan himself contorts the title track into a longer version than the original making an inconvenient mix, although far from a mess of it all bolstered by news bytes and bitterness…
20 minutes of hard hitting industrial here and I bet the band are just busting to get back in the studio and play live. No matter what happens down the line I doubt it will be long before we hear from them again.
(8/10 Pete Woods)
https://www.facebook.com/TheJoyThieves
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