ALBUM REVIEW: Point of No Return – Those Damn Crows

It almost sounds like a country bumpkin blaming birds for a poor crop yield: “It were THOSE DAMN CROWS that ruined it!”. But in reality, it’s the name of Bridgend’s hottest export, a no-frills hard rock outfit who have gone on an impressive trajectory since their formation five years ago.

One full album under their belt, a recent high-profile tour with MONSTER MAGNET, a spot headlining the Friday of Planet Rock: Winter’s End at the beginning of next month and a current headline tour of the UK which has seen venues sell out, upgrade and sell out again. Now, they have a new addition to their resume;  Point of No Return, their sophomore album which dropped this Friday just gone via Earache Records.

Point of No Return consolidates the sound that THOSE DAMN CROWS presented on 2018’s debut Murder and the Motive, but does much to show off how their musicianship and delivery has improved over the last two years. This is a baker’s dozen of straight up bangers that don’t let up, maintaining a raucous energy throughout. Even the mid-album ballad Never Win, which is little more than piano, the heartfelt vocals from Shane Greenhall and a small addition from drummer Ronnie Huxford, doesn’t stall the proceedings, merely allowing a small amount of respite before Send the Reaper brings the tempo back to full-throttle with its SHINEDOWN-esque hooks.

The high-octane rush is complimented perfectly by the well-judged choruses that fly out of the songs and embed themselves into your mind like a well placed arrow from Legolas himself. There are earworms for days on here, and they take effect immediately with opening track Who Did It and deliver a second blow in the following Set In Stone. In fact, you can probably take your pick of the album in regards to which one has the best, but the truth is they’re all of the highest quality; Going Down and King of Second Chances just shade it, however listen on another day and it could well be the driving Long Time Dead or the balls-out impact from Kingdom of Dust. In fact, the biggest issue with Point of No Return is picking a favourite song, but that’s never a bad problem to have, right?

Often the best bands fill a hole in a music world that has been crying out to be filled, and THOSE DAMN CROWS may well be the UK’s answer to the goliaths of the rock radio world that dominate airwaves in the United States. The fact they have such a presence already is a hugely promising sign of their overall potential and, given their relatively short career, one can only wonder what sort of profile they’ll achieve if the next album is even better than Point of No Return. That’s admittedly a tall order, but right now the sky is the limit for these fine gentlemen from Wales.

Rating: 9/10

Point Of No Return is out now via Earache Records.

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