|
When the band Assert was founded in 1995 they played punk with thrash elements and soon they wer known in their home country - the U.K. They released a 7" EP Assert Yourself in 1996 and was followed by the EP Thumb And Four Fingers Fold To A Fist. The London-based Household Name Records took care of the Assert who played punk with intelligent and political lyrics. Two full-length albums - More Than A Witness (1997), Left Opposition (1998) - been released through Household Name Records. In 2001 they released Insurrection Rock which combines aggressive music and socio-critical statements. Last year drummer Chris Burleigh passed tragically and so the band channeled their anger in the song writing. A kind of self-therapy. And so the songs are very intense, full of fear and mourning. Cancer drummer Carl Stokes returned and delivers the hard beats on their latest release Riotous Assembly.
Opening with Lean On Me the five Brits are presenting their nowadays sound. These days more hardcore then punk. But the band of singer Britt - who also sings in the U.K. punk legend One Way System - play aggressive, energetic hardcore / punk tunes. Up-tempo tunes with aggressive and hateful vocals like on Popular Uprising can be found on this album. Ryan Evans' and Sean 'sic boy' Ecclestone's guitar play is more metallic and gives them a sound which is different to their genre colleagues.
The title track is one of my favorites, a tune which is different to the rest of the album tracks, even if it has the same ingredients. While Never Forget You is more based in the punk genre. A catchy song with a melody line which soon spins around in your head. Blood Bath is the opposite, it needs time to grow.
The five-some present 15 songs in almost 27 minutes. Short tracks, powerful and full of anger. Well done!
|
|
