Blacklisters - BLKLSTRS Album Review

There are no two ways about it, Blacklisters make a racket. If you have seen the recent video for the single Trickf**k, you will already know that Blacklisters make a terrifyingly unhinged sound (coupled with oddball visuals) and on BLKLSTRS, their debut album, you should expect more of the same.

The album opens with the confusingly titled Clubfoot by Kasabian; it is not a cover version, nor does it really bare any resemblance to anything that band have ever even been near. This song is a breakneck thrill ride with a ridiculous number of beats per minute throughout. Next up is Swords, another high octane whiplash inducer before the pace slows to a sludgy grind for Nice Garden, which has elements that would not be out of place on a Big Black album. The pace may have slowed, but it is no less furious, but what do you expect from a band who have toured with the likes of Pulled Apart By Horses and Kong?

From here on in, we see a mix of more of the full throttle tracks that would send the crowd at a small venue into a frenzy (OK47, Mouthpeace, the aforementioned Trickfuck), and the more twisted, sludgy and grinding numbers (I Can Confirm that Ruth Abigail Holmes is Not Dead and is Planning to Make a Movie About Her Life, and the Shellac-a-like Ask Yourself a Question If the Answer is Go F**k Yourself). At no point during the 40 minutes does it let up. These are 40 furious, punishing minutes which make for a great listen, provided you are not of a nervous disposition.

Put simply, if you want an album that drinks all the booze, swears loudly, kicks you about a bit and pulls your hair, BLKLSTRS is probably one for you. It is another testament to the strength of the underground rock scene in Leeds which seems to be spitting out amazing bands at an alarming rate at the moment. If however, you like an early night and a Bovril, this will probably never find its way into your record collection.

Ben Walton