DESOLATION SOUNDS by Gallows

Ten tracks over 36 minutes show a band in its prime, which is good since this is Gallows’ fourth outing which is helping the tunesmiths celebrate a decade of glory.

Gallows founding member Laurent ‘Lags’ Barnard has said the album sounds “really fearless” and he has hit the nail on the head. The band has moved from its punk beginnings to one which maintains the same spiky enthusiasm but is willing to venture out and dip tentacles into various other styles.

All of this, ofcourse, makes a surprising, exhilarating and inventive little platter which doesn’t fall into the trap of the CD age of dragging proceedings out way too long just because you can. Less is certainly more.

Gallows consists of Wade MacNeil on vocals, Laurent Barnard on guitar, Stuart Gili-Ross on bass and sticks man Lee Barratt.

The album starts off with a power punch on Mystic Death which has almost a heavy metal flourish and delivery, the fun continuing with Desolation Sounds and on into the body of the album through tracks such as Chains, Death Valley Blue and Cease To Exist.

It’s the sort of album you should rush out and listen to.

And in case you’re wondering why it’s called Desolation Sounds, the title refers to an area of water in Wade MacNeil’s native Canada. Don’t say you don’t learn anything from music.