ALBUM REVIEW: Radical Animals – Them Bloody Kids
Over the years we’ve seen varying forms of protests against the horrors that surround our world. From marches to occupying, people deserve the right to stand up for what is wrong and to push for progressive change; one of the several variations that really grabs the attention however is music. We’ve seen Annie Lennox wear a suit and don a shaved head to fight the sexualisation of women in music, Bob Geldof and Midge Ure host a benefit charity concert for the fight against famine, and now we see London-based newcomers THEM BLOODY KIDS charge forward to explore the distrust of the system, and how humanity is regressing into a hateful spiral with their debut album, Radical Animals.
To encourage change, you need to have a point and make an impact from the off, and that’s exactly what the trio have done. At the first blast of opening track, Justified Lies, there is a confrontational energy that lingers in the air. To be able to achieve that instantly is a quality bands who have been around since the dawn of time would relish to have. This attitude is consistent throughout the album, and it sparks that feeling of the chaotic excitement you had when listening to a band of their energy for the very first time.
It’s clear to hear with tracks such as Show No Love, The Demon and Into The Night where the musical influences stem from in the band’s sound, most notably SYSTEM OF A DOWN. They’ve got the exact same punch, but with their own style that draws them enough away to be a unique fish in the music ocean.
Sebastian Moederle-Lumb [vocals, guitars] needs to be recognised for the addition to this special glint the band seem to hold. His ability to switch quickly between rough-rugged angry vocals of frustration to doom-laden tones that draw you into the bleak reality of life is rather astounding and without a shadow of doubt is the perfect fit for the intensity created by Darren Maddox [drums] and Vein [bass].
Aforementioned, THEM BLOODY KIDS, for as feisty as they are, have a very doom-esque approach to some tracks such as Molly. The influence is held throughout the entire album, alongside nu-metal, hardcore and punk, but it’s here where the versatility of their talents really take the stage. It’s sinister as it drones on hand in hand with the effective drum work of Maddox. It’s one of those where you just sit there, questioning everything about your existence, ultimately leaving you in a spiral of despair.
There’s a lot of confrontational and controversial matters on the album that leave you with that previously mentioned feeling. Most are done in an energetic way that fills you with such internal fire, but it’s moments like Molly and the more down-tempo moments in title-track that are the most raw and close-to-home.
It’s hard to slap a label on this fresh-faced band. There’s no saying that they’re punk, alternative, nu-metal, whatever other genre comes to mind. They’ve got it all covered and they do each element as though they were born to. We’re in a time where we’re being swamped by new music due to the accessibility, and there are some great bands that are taking our ears fancy. There’s no questioning that the competition to be heard is fierce, but THEM BLOODY KIDS are showing that they are serious contenders in the ring.
Radical Animals isn’t an album that you would expect as a debut. It’s polished and refined in a way that should come further down a career, it’s impressive, but also a little daunting to see how they progress if they keep up with this ferocity. This is an album that is brimmed with passion, emotion, anger, and the determination to highlight what is going on in our world right now. It’s not perfect, there’s no denying that there are some moments which stand above others, but it cannot go un-noted that this is exactly how you should be breaking down the doors with first-efforts.
Rating: 8/10
Radical Animals is out now via self-release.
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