By Alex Pearson
‘Modern Ruin’ follows on from Frank Carter’s ferocious debut album ‘Blossom’; not so much a call to arms, more a battle cry.
In the light of the anticipated release, ‘Modern Ruin’ keeps one of the most promising British bands afloat in a sea of competition.
‘Modern Ruin’ begins tentatively with the opening track ‘Bluebelle’, which clocks in at a brisk one minute in length, leading way to one of the album’s most notable tracks ‘Lullaby’. ‘Lullaby’ signifies The Rattlesnakes’ ability to write edgy riffs with a huge impact, as well as setting a motion a momentum which doesn’t lapse until six tracks in.
Other notable tracks include the explosive ‘Snake Eyes’ as well as the already released single ‘Wild Flowers’. In ‘Wild Flowers’ it is easy to recognise that perhaps the opening line “She is so beautiful” is a tad cliché, but, this is Frank Carter we’re talking about; he doesn’t make it feel that way.
Frank Carter’s eye for melody and lyricism comes into play in ‘Thunder’; initially a soothing track, which burgeons into a satisfying clatter of distortion and drums and all things rock and roll. The next track up (‘Real Life’) proves to be a personal favourite of mine, largely this comes down to the menacing low muted guitar locking in with a trudging drum groove.
By the time the final echoed chords of ‘Neon Rust’ play out, one thing is immediately clear; Frank Carter has taken a step away from the brutality of ‘Blossom’ – the predecessor of ‘Modern Ruin’ – and has landed feet first on a more melodically rich and measured body of work.
Whilst few tracks fail to generate the same sing along vibe as ‘Wild Flowers’, each song has its own enjoyable aspect about it. In short, ‘Modern Ruin’ strikes the right chord.
