Ginger Wildheart never sleeps, never rests. At bit like that Speed film, if he slows down, he explodes. Hence a new project every year, switching sub-genres, drawing along some of his Wildhearts fans, leaving others wondering what happened to the Ginger music they loved. Still drawing big audiences to Wildhearts revival shows of “Earth Vs The Wildhearts”, he chooses to wander widely in his own career.
That’s not to say this is a one-man show – it isn’t. Drums are furious and bass is superbly in your face, old member sof the Wildhearts appear. Shane Embury (Napalm Death) and Jon Poole (Cardiacs) have helped to make it a supergroup of sorts. The ensemble work is excellent, chopping about, stopping and starting, throwing aggressive backing lines into the fray. Mutation turn out a hyper-aggressive post-rock, a bit screamo, a tiny bit maths, some proggy insertion of different backing vocal lines, a whole lot mad. Sun Of White Leg even goes a bit glam on the harmonies, alternating with grinding riffs. It never stops changing and twisting, elbowing expectations and preconceptions aside. Furious doesn’t begin to describe it and I can’t fathom what any of the songs are about. With titles like Bracken, Protein, Relentless Confliction and Benzo Fury, the themes are anyone’s guess. The main thing is to turn it up LOUD and enjoy the pounding on your ears and chest; it may take some time for your pulse to return to normal afterwards.
The tracks people will be looking for are Mutations and Relentless Confliction, where lead vocals are handled by the incomparable Mark E Smith but the whole is fascinatingly constantly shifting and insanely over the top, culminating in the glorious Benzo Fury. This band should tour – if they can find venues tough enough.
Ross McGibbon