Big Band of Boom – Big Band of Boom
Big Band of Boom – Big Band of Boom
Ragtime Records
Release Date: 13/02/26
Words – Jon Deaux
8/10
There’s a point, about three songs in on “Big Band of Boom”, when you realize that this album isn’t here to save your soul; it’s here to spill your drink, steal your shoes, kiss your ex, and then burn the house down while apologizing profusely to the sound engineer. This is not a band; this is a controlled explosion with a horn section and a God complex, recorded for posterity in various haunted locations across the UK (I wouldn’t recommend playing the album backwards for subliminal messages, EVPs or back masking. It sounds like complete gibberish).
It is either a war crime waiting to happen or a few other things depending on the jurisdiction. It is all right. This is the part where you expect the surprise. This album should be a disaster; a dozen people, metal riffs, jazz smarts, festival band manic energy, and enough brass to summon demons or at least David Lammy. And yet it is all right; tight, feral, and disturbingly alive, like locking eyes with a stranger in a mosh pit and being bound for life.
Imagine the Kill Bill soundtrack performed by Rage Against the Machine with an orchestra,” (Says the press release)
‘Stupid Filthy Rich’ opens the album with a bird given to the excess culture, but with a smile so wide it borders on lunacy. The vocals by Josh Wunderlich are as human as a crazy friend at 3 a.m. – sweaty, honest, and almost too honest. The horns on this song are not just added, but are a desperate attempt to get this song going. Something to be seen a lot in this album: the horns are not just added, but are a force of nature. They are here to work, they are here to work overtime.
‘Earthquake’ and ‘Doomscrolling’ are the nervous systems of this album. One is the earthquake on the floor, and the other is the one frying the brain. The latter is particularly cursed. It is an assessment of the current state of affairs, e.g., the world is on fire, but through the lens of a six-inch device, with a saxophone wailing in sympathy. There is joy to be found here, but it is the kind of joy that knows the rent is due, the world is on fire, and the ice caps are melting.
Then there is ‘Propane Nightmares,’ the rave apocalypse of Pendulum, but in a brass-infused industrial hellhole. It should not make it out alive. It does. Barely. Their quest to find the essence of their live performances has finally paid off, as it does not just sound refined, but cornered, snarling, buzzing with a frequency that will shake the fillings out of your teeth. A sound limiter somewhere has filed a restraining order.
The rhythm section is worthy of a medal and a nap. Matthew Holmes is the embodiment of confidence. The kind of confidence that only comes from knowing how hard you can hit things before everything falls down. Gareth Williams’ bass, and the two guitars of Duffy and Hyland, change the entire scope of this operation from Metal mania to dance floor beats. This is a heavy sound. This is a sound that is meant to get you moving, not brooding. Brooding is for bands with fewer friends.
The toxicity of the album comes in the form of a System Of A Down cover. It’s no more of a cover than a re-imaging. On paper, it shouldn’t work but it does. If the horns don’t give you the horn then there’s no hope for you.
As the album continues, songs such as ‘Anxiety Universe’ and ‘The Longest of Goodbyes’ show an unexpected level of emotional depth. It is here that the dam finally bursts, just enough for the sincerity to peer out from behind the glitter and sweat. It is not lingered on, however, as “Yūgen” brings the album full circle in a scope that shows they know when to hold back, even if they don’t always.
Big Band of Boom have made an album that half way through you would think they were operating as just one consciousness.
TRACKLISTING:
01. Stupid Filthy Rich
02. Earthquake
03. Doomscrolling
04. Big Bad Voodoo
05. Propane Nightmares
06. Energy Vampire
07. Knock at the Door
08. Not Today
09. One Night Only
10. Anxiety Universe
11. Toxicity
12. Thanks Humans
13. The Longest of Goodbyes
14. Yūgen
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Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of Jon Deaux and Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.
