Gallows (UK)
Orchestra of Wolves
CD Review/Interview
By Jillian Abbene
(SugarBuzz Wash DC/Richmond)
SugarBuzz Magazine
It truly was fate. The day I was recommended to listen to Gallows, is the same day I ventured into the record store and spotted their CD sitting separately on the shelf. I bought it. Little did I know…I wasn’t prepared for their throw-down that descended upon my ears. I haven’t stopped playing it since. Now that says something! In the same smearings of The Bronx, guitar plunks of Black Flag, signature syncopations of Primus and the attitude The Sex Pistols – and specifically to frontman Frank Carter to John Lydon, an individualistic style of rock and roll is created all its own as they write about their personal experiences in a menacing form.
Right into the first song, ‘Kill The Rhythm,’ leaps out of the starting gate with Frank Carter on lead vocals, and Laurent Barnard on lead guitar/back-ups, shouting lyrics in instant ‘national-anthem’ melodies the bleed nothing but conviction. Psyched-up and half-crazed rhythms have the overlapping chorus pushing over crucial bass lines. The M8 launches into high-fire tribal drums; stamping guitar twangs with interchanges to serious screams—although hardly audible—still carries the energy and tune through to the end. It’s a great opener.
‘Abandon The Ship,’ chunks-up with immediate pile-driving chords along installed hard-bass that is equally devoured by a catchy guitar hook not only on this song, but appears in handfuls throughout the entire CD. Frank shouts, growls and croons all in one song, with harmonized shouting-assistance from Laurent who punches out the meaning of the lyrics of a used love gone lost with the inclusion of a surprise keyboard blurp towards the closing, and ending all in one abrupt chord.
Blown away by, ‘In The Belly Of The Shark,’ a fantastic hook-beginning has Frank crooning out matter-of-factness in, “So here I Lie/In the belly of a shark/so fucking cold, so fucking dark,” that only echoes in clever rock-n-roll excellence. Breaking guitar splits into triplicate riffs and Frank’s hard-hitting punch-in-the-crotch guttural lyrics has the bridge of the song spanning from metal to non-genre specific, which only makes me more intrigued about their musical style on the rest of the CD. Tight, hard syncopations has this song pegged as my favorite.
‘Six Years,’ rings in with slow by sharp-dirgy chiming guitar by Steph (Frank’s brother), kicking the entire song into fast rolling cadence, leaving more urgency for Frank to lay more melancholic shouts. As the chimes slow down to almost a ballad, overlapping screams end the song dramatically on one final echoed note…suspended.
‘Just Because You Sleep Next To Me Doesn’t Mean You’re Safe,’ is a wild card song. I can make out the Primus-like syncopations that lay heavy and hard on chunked bass-twangs. The bashing, bleated guitar squeals spills over Frank’s snarled-lip depletives stopping suddenly with only Frank’s nightmare-breathing in the end.
Plowing through the CD, all lyrical political correctedness is shattered. Graduations of intensity are leveled out in, ‘Will Someone Kill That Fucking Snake,’ that feeds a hard-lined frothing rhythm planted into meshed sound—inclusive of keyboard notes sandwiched in between. This defining lyrical content only elevates the band’s personal rageful emotions on the sensitive subject of a friend’s horrific experience of date-rape.
And then there’s the entitled, ‘Orchestra of Wolves,’ that piles on more stings from Frank’s scraggled vocals teaming with British arrogance in a hardcore dish-rag hook that has listeners protecting their body parts from air-punches and elbows if experiencing their live-show. No one is safe from the intentional skeletal carnage left after this song.
Last but not least, the original classic from Black Flag, ‘Nervous Breakdown,’ brings big kudos to Gallows. From the emanating old-school tin-fuzz guitar and angry growl lovingly remembered by Henri Rollins himself, the CD ends in the fittingly lyric of, ”Fuck!”
This CD kills.
I met up with lead guitarist, Laurent Barnard, after the Washington DC show at the 9:30 Club. Although I wasn’t successful in rounding up the band, Laurent took the time to graciously chat with me in an impromptu interview—
Note:*[LIC stands for little Italian cookie, my myspace name =Jillian]
[LIC]: Can it be safe to say that there are similarities of your sound to the bands I referenced above—Black Flag, The Bronx, Primus and Sex Pistols? I mean, I know you have a unique grit sound and surprisingly American influences—
[Laurent]: We take influences from everything we have listened to, not just one band, to create our own individual style. We take influences from everywhere—and we even listen to rap and hip-hop….Frank writes the lyrics, I write all the songs.
[LIC]: All the songs on the CD? Really?
[Laurent]: Yes—
[LIC]: Well, I suppose it does make sense that Frank writes the lyrics. Yeah, I notice he possesses that same kind of sneer and stance as John Lydon—which is great. The lyrics have his own personal sting to them. I like that.
[Laurent]: Yes, I suppose I can see that—
[LIC]: Do you think this is Gallows’ final sound or are you still developing your style?
[Laurent]: We are still learning. We’re not really interested in the perfection of it all. It would lose the purpose of why we play. We play songs with passion—fresh-out. It’s really about the energy and getting our message across.
[LIC]: …To burn a memory in their heads…
[Laurent]: Yes, but with keeping in our British character.
[LIC]: [I nod in agreement].
[LIC]: Has there been any instances that have stood out, since being here in the states?
[Laurent]: Yes, yes. I was here on the bus and the lead guitarist for Minor Threat, Lyle Preslar, walks up here on the bus and starts talking to me…I ended up playing guitar with him on the bus. It was a crazy to think that he was right here.
[LIC]: Oh my God, that is amazing that you are here in Washington DC, where most of those guys (Minor Threat) are from…wow…that would blow me away. That IS pretty cool. [chuckle]
[Laurent]: Yes, I couldn’t believe it—and I had just purchased a new limited edition Les Paul guitar in Ohio somewhere.
[LIC]: [grinning] that’s pretty fucking amazing— Now, you (i.e. Gallows) have played some places (festivals) here in the states—SXSW right? What was that like for you—I mean, I would suspect it was a great way to get your name out?
[Laurent]: It was…we were just playing to a bunch of rich executives—really getting into their face. [he smirks]. We let it out on stage…
[LIC]: --a form of therapy?
[Laurent]: [nods] Yes.
[LIC]: he…he..he… but there was also The Warped Tour right? How was that?
[Laurent]: Yes, and the Reading Festival and Download Festival in the UK.
[LIC]: Oh yeah, have heard of both of them. Those are big festivals. Well then, what was your opinion of the US festivals compared to the UK fests? I mean, I keep hearing how the American festivals are all “commercially,”—
[Laurent]: Well, not really. We have respect for the bands and a lot of bands are really good people. They were there too to just have an awesome time.
[LIC]: So most of the bands connected in having a good time.
[Laurent]: Exactly. We just try to get our message across. That’s where Bad Religion asked us to tour with them.
[LIC]: That must have been something…so now that you are on tour, where do you tour next?
[Laurent]: New York City, Australia and Japan. [he raises his eyebrows in obvious glee.]
[LIC]: Oh wow, that’s big. I know Japan has a pretty incredible scene there. It’s totally different from what other musicians who have toured there. You’ll have fun there I’m sure.
[Laurent]: Yeah, and Australia…excited about that.
[LIC]: Is there another CD coming out soon? What…? “Orchestra Of Wolves” came out in 2005 right? [I ask with a squinched up face of uncertainty]
[Laurent]: No, 2006.
[LIC]: Oops. So you are due for a new one then?
[Laurent]: Yeah, but we are still touring. There hasn’t been much time for writing. I wrote some music which may end up being a single. It’s a cover song from The Ruts, “Staring At The Rude Boys,” and maybe we will have a CD out next year.
[LIC]: Oh yeah, I know The Ruts songs you are referring to. Will you play here next year (in the states)?
[Laurent]: We will probably come back ‘round again in January.
[LIC]: Great. I’ll definitely be there.
[Laurent]: Well, my buzz is wearing off, [shaking hands]; I need to get another beer.
[LIC]: [chuckling here], Right, thanks for your time, Laurent. I really appreciate it. See you next year.
Just a special thanks to Epitaph Records, 9:30 Club, and Buck – Gallows tour manager for going out of their way to steer me in the right direction. Oh, and of course, Laurent for giving a shit.