I can count on the fingers of, er, 1 finger as to how many albums I have by Italian bands, and this is it.
Lags are from Rome, and comprise of Antonio Canestri on vocals and guitars, guitarist Gianluca Lateana, bass player Daniele De Carland and actual Italian athlete Andrew Howe on drums (apparently the band has a co drummer who substitutes for Howe when he is training).
The press release suggests the bands style is post hardcore, or indie punk, and who am I to disagree. Closest sound-alike to me are At The Drive In, as they have the same urgency and playing style.
Yes there are shouty lyrics, buzz saw guitars and furious drumming, but there are also memorable riffs and melodies.
At just 30 minutes long, the album doesn’t hang around for its 11 tracks (all sung in English by the way), and it's all the better for that fact. It wouldn’t make sense to appraise each track individually as that would detract from the overall listening experience of putting the album on and letting it wash over you.
For a debut album, this is a very assured and promising start, and they have created a sweaty, adrenaline soaked record that I hope will translate to the live stage in the UK in the not too distant future.
Keith
7/11
