Gallows - Gallows

Most die-hard Gallows fans were pretty distraught when Frank Carter left the band last year and wondered how the beast of a band they loved would continue without the ginger maestro. The majority of qualms were answered with the entrance of Wade MacNeil, Alexisonfire legend and all round insane bloke. Now Gallows are a new and invigorated group with something to prove to their old fans and this record certainly does that.

We start off with 'Victim Culture' which begins with an occult-like chant which wouldn't go a miss from a Wes Craven movie. The first thoughts on hearing this track are mainly "Thank God they haven't done the whole referencing the fact they've got a new frontman shtick" that usually gets bandied around on albums by regenerated bands and is quite tiring. From the first track to the last, it's an album in its own right. When MacNeil's vocals kick in alongside the thick and abrasive guitar, it's hard not to either lap it up and enjoy or go completely mental, which is what will be happening at Gallows gigs all around the country.

The vocals on this album are gritty beyond belief and it almost seems like MacNeil and Gallows are a perfect fit. The band has a fantastic rhythm section which keeps you on your toes at all times and MacNeil has licence to seemingly do whatever he wants. 'Last June', which received a lot of airplay through Daniel P Carter's Radio 1 Rock Show, is a behemoth, fusing fantastic lead vocals with old Gallows-style backing vocals which combine to give you this feast of a track.

The songs on this record are catchy as hell; there are hooks aplenty and it's obvious they're aiming higher than to just be another punk band. 'Last June', for example, deals with the G20 protestors while the album as a whole isn't plagued by the usual motifs which often confine punk music to the corner of the room. On 'Depravers', MacNeil's voice brims and gnashes away, sounding like Chuck Ragan, which can only be a good thing.

The album lasts just over half-an-hour and if you're not craving more then there's something not right. It's seriously brilliant and eclipses anything the band did prior to its release. There really isn't a bad track on the record. The most impressive thing about Gallows is how a band that could have sunk under has risen so far that it might be a while before they touch ground again.