Over the last couple of weeks we have been approached by a couple of bands asking how they can be featured on the Band Of The Week section. “Can we have our manager send you a demo?” ‘We’d love to be featured on your website, we have played two shows and already have a street team’. Please vote for us to play this festival” etc etc. That kind of silly nonsense. Our policy on this is really simple. Don’t Be Shit. Be a legit Hardcore punk band. And in all honesty WE tell YOU if we like your band, you don’t tell us. I’ve been hanging around long enough and sat through way too many shitty bands that I think I know what I like by now. Having said that, if one of my mates is in the band that probably helps a bit too, as is the case of this weeks new band Controlled from Sydney Australia.
The connection here is bassist Jon Peach, a former conspirator of mine in the short lived (but collectively very good looking) straight edge band Age Of Kali. He also played bass in the notorious Out Of Hand who were the reason I started Hemlock 13 Records in order to release their 7″ since no one else would touch’em. We also share enthusiasms for Slayer, pratting about with fireworks and The League Of Gentlemen. Anyway about 18 months ago he decided to leave sacred Albion and up sticks for Australia and a lucrative career with Mr William Gates, so off he fucked.
Last week, much to my surprise, eight songs suddenly appeared in my inbox, the debut recordings from Sydney’s Controlled. Turns out Peach hadn’t dropped out of HC and become a total square as I had predicted, far from it. He’s teamed up with some locals (including members of the highly regarded Vigilante) and put together a proper fucking rager of a hardcore band.
Controlled’s Overclass demo starts out hard as nails and continues in much the same vein giving you a bloody good hiding over the course of the eight songs that follow. The band have clearly taken influence from the sounds of the 80’s extracting DNA from the marrow of the Lifesblood 7″ and throwing in some of Voids racket. The vocalist sounds like a hardcase and in places puts me in mind of Lecky when he was singing for Steadfast back in the late eighties. For those looking for more contemporary points of reference I’ll say It’s visceral and spitting boot boy influenced hardcore punk that reminds me of Violent Minds in places and in others the bruising bareknuckle drudge of the early Think I Care records.
It’s all over fairly quickly and you’re left dazed, bloodied and battered but hungry for another slap. I’ve been rinsing this demo since Jon sent the tracks over and I cannot wait to hear what they come up with next. I believe Controlled played their first show a week ago. Think they’ve got a limited number of tapes for sale and the songs are up on their bandcamp below so if you like real hardcore go and have a listen. Sterling work.
LISTEN HERE