Portland – Slaves is asking Are You Satisfied? with their latest release. The duo is bringing the best of hardcore punk to the masses with their manic, attacking sound. The Kent-based band is making waves with their success in the genre and for good reason. They are unabashed about their opinions on success, social norms, and the human condition in a borderline-grotesque way. And that’s not a bad thing—it’s in these moments of the album that we realize that the almost-humorous lyrics are actually the truest recognition of what they believe society is. Slaves is a critique in the heaviest way, and the most honest to punk than ever.
Slaves was formed in 2013 in Maidstone, Kent by vocalist and guitarist Laurie Vincent and drummer Isaac Holman. While Are You Satisfied? is their debut album, their first EP, Sugar Coated Bitter Truth, was instrumental in their discovery. After the release of the EP, they were signed to Virgin EMI and released “Hey” and “The Hunter.” The fast-paced punk is accented by the bareness of the composition. Vincent and Holman are all the band needs, for the duo’s sound is rawer in that aspect. Vincent’s heavy accent and passionate delivery screams for you to listen to what he’s about to sing, while Holman’s blaring drum is the perfect backdrop.
The album’s opener, “The Hunter,” gets to the band’s message within seconds. Vincent wails, “Take it / We don’t want it!” as he reveals a commentary on society’s pit falls as Holman ominously repeats “The Hunter” over the chorus. The lyrics never stray from Slaves’ viewpoint on the world around them, and they have no qualms with the directness of their voice: “The feeling / Its mutual / You don’t like what we do / Because we say what we are thinking / And that shocks and frightens you.” “The Hunter” sets the tone for the rest of the album, and Slaves gets to the point immediately.
“Cheer Up London” begins with Vincent’s maniacal laughter and a single electric guitar. The song’s title is quite contrary to the shouts of “you’re dead already” that repeat throughout the chorus. The band thrives on irony though, and the title is the obvious prelude to a much darker song. The last song, a hint to their earlier EP, “Sugar Coated Bitter Truth” is exactly what it says it is with the beginning lyrics releasing another attack: “Don’t trust the flies / They are government spies.” Vincent is the quintessential punk front man in that aspect, he knows what he wants to say, and he’s saying it loudly.
One of the most interesting aspects of the album is their foray into acoustic with “Are You Satisfied.” A bouncy piano accompanies an acoustic guitar as Holman and Vincent sing in harmony. Vincent’s raspy, quiet singing is completely different from every song before it, and Holman’s gentle harmonies enhance the change of pace. The acoustic tames their sound, but the message is just as blatant. Slaves debut is as thought provoking as they come, and better yet, it leaves the listener fulfilled.
Go HERE for more on Slaves and their tour dates.
Dakota Smith
Follow her on twitter in case she says something funny: @LikeTheStates
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