Old Flame, New Sonics – Gallows ‘Bonfire Season’ EP in Review
My love for Gallows is well documented here at MF. I’ve been with them since their first LP, Orchestra of Wolves, and followed them with delight through thick and thin. Including each of the controversial line-up changes… and unlike most, I got over them. If you haven’t got over it, get a life. Wade is fucking brutal. End of.
This new EP sees the first rumbles of a kettle about to boil in the lead up to new LP, Desolation Sounds, set for release come the 13th of April, and it’s safe to say I am bloody excited. They’re my boys. The Bonfire Season EP feels like the spiritual and sonic successor to last summer’s single, ‘Chains’, with a similar Doom Metal vibe and sense of foreboding. Anyhow, let’s do a track-by-track to cut open and bleed this motherfuckers content.
1. Bonfire Season – Title track and single. A slow burn. The main riff’s tone haunts with sustain and creeps into your ears like a leper. Throughout the track the track Stuart Gili Ross’ bass fizzles with dark fuzz that catches your attention. (Video at bottom of the page).
Wade sings like a man convicted to the cause with the chorus of, “Burn like a bonfire, till there’s nothing left. I’m losing my desire to be in love with death” – it has severe shout along potential. On the whole though, this is newly trodden ground for Gallows, with a more quiet an relaxed vibe for the majority of the tracks duration. Still, a must have.
2. Bonfire Season (The Jesus Fucking Christ Is In Love Remix) – A relatively bog standard remix, taking the original’s quieter moments and adding emphasis to them with an overdubbing trance beat, not essential but worth a quick go.
3. Denim Demon – It would appear Wade has something he needs to get off his chest with this cover of Turbonegro’s 1996 hit. And it’s lyrics seemingly provide the fitting opportunity for him to rip into the Frank Carter addicted naysayers.
With verse lyrics such as, ‘but all the kids that put me down, who laughed and said I was a clown, They didn’t want me around’ displaying the subjugation he has experienced, he shows how little fucks he truly gives with his rip roaring chorus vocals of. ‘I AM, I AM, I AM A DENIM DEMON’. It’s safe to say he’s sticking to the path he’s chosen and that he will keep ploughing with Gallows regardless. Another must have little shot of Punk-Rock aggression.
4. Scare Me – And it’s time to get ourselves snug under another cover. Originally off the 2013 album, Free the Universe, by Major Laser, Wade takes a moment here to hand the mic over to Marcia Richards of The Skints, who brings an overbearing sense of urban swagger to the track.
The lyrics are as catching as the clap, with catching hooks such as “Feel your wiki leak I can feel wiki your leak“… the meaning is obtuse to me, but heck, even I appreciate the severe sing-along quality. I have no problem with covers, and this was easily my stand out track.
Gallows are touring in May alongside MF favourites Baby Godzilla, Creeper and Departures. Catch it if you can. I will definitely be doing so. To keep up with the guys, check out the links below:
#StayFresh
Facebook – Gallows
Twitter – @GallowsOfficial
And finally, check out the guys over at Venn Records.
