Anti Nasty League - Fan Reviews Thread

[Dr Peter O'Boogie]

Its bloody good!

[TheFinkie]

OK then. This is what I've come up with (sorry about the length ):

Well, to start off, I must admit that after hearing the album taster my hopes were not high. From what was sampled, it seemed like the Poppies were going for a classic rock album, and after the magnificence of New Noise Designed By A Sadist, this would be a mite disappointing. Hearing the full album now, I realize the truth: while it's true that Anti Nasty League is at core a rock album more purely than anything the band has previously released, in no way is this a bad thing. Some fans had been starting to frown at the persistant dominance of the industrial genre throughout the last few albums, and while I identify as primarily an industrial fan, I would agree with those fans that the divergence from this style is definitely a welcome change. However, despite the magnificence of the heavy rock laced throughout Anti Nasty League, I find that, unfortunately, it does not quite reach the awesome threshold set by NNDBAS, which was, and therefore still is, my favourite PWEI album. But don't get me wrong, this is without a doubt the best album released this year so far.
And now, listening to ANL in more detail, I'm starting to notice the real mingling of genres present on the album. Yes, the rock style explored here is new, but I'm sensing a little reggae drifting amongst the guitar-and-drum driven tracks – now this is unusual. Also, a common sound is that of drum 'n' bass, which was brought into the picture during the Vile Evil years, and has never really left. Often, this drum 'n' bass sound is combined beautifully with thrashing guitars and brutal vocals, not to mention the grimy growling of Mr. Bennett's bass, but occasionally a calmer track will penetrate the listener's experience, with a chilled-out drum 'n' bass sound that would go down well in a cafe or gallery. But one thing I've noticed is the frequency at which the genre changes. Back in the day, we could expect a change of direction on basically every album, but here we can expect it not only in every song, but even within the song! Sometimes a song will be trundling along with a slow smooth drumbeat accompanied by ambient keyboards and bass, then bam! Suddenly you are thrown into a high-energy punk-rock passage which bangs your head for you. This is most certainly not unwanted, of course, and the Poppies can pull it off fantastically, in a way that makes you think to yourself “I actually love this song!” every time the beat drops. The disadvantage of this is that sometimes a song will have two drastically different parts, but one part is great and the other is unappealing, so you've only really got half a good song.
As mentioned, the instrumentation is different to usual, with guitar and drums taking a dual lead position and the bass and vocals keenly following behind. Electronics take a back seat, but are certainly still present in a very noticeable way. The vocals are noticeably far more hip-hop influenced that anything we've heard for a while, and the swift tuneless rhymes of Mr. Crabb that also dominate his latest solo release are joined by co-vocalist Mr. Byker, who keeps up neck-to-neck with the speedily-delivered quips in addition to the almost as frequently used actual singing, which is usually found during choruses. It must be said, the lyrics could have been better, for though I seem to have some disorder that prevents me from deciphering a single word of any song, the imperfect syllable-count has tweaked my ears now and again. While we're complaining, I also detect imperfections in the sound quality, as was also the case in the Watch The Bitch Blow EP, espcially in the drums and vocals. This is one of the main reasons why ANL can't pull itself up to NNDBAS's head-height, because NNDBAS was produced perfectly, as far as I can tell.
But there are so many fabulous songs on Anti Nasty League; catchy tracks that just hit the perfect note with you, and you can tell that it'll be a classic – the album is full of them. On thinking more deeply into this, I realized that that is something that Pop Will Eat Itself have always had a knack for: writing straight classics consistently. The bass and guitar riffs are spot-on, and the drums sound perfect – just what one would expect from top musicians such as the ones found in Pop Will Eat Itself today.

The album opens with a slightly distorted “noodling around” (as my old music teacher would say ) on a heavily wah-ed electric guitar, leaving an ambiguity to the expectations that is resolved just 8 seconds later, when an ultra-heavy riff on the bass suddenly enters the arena, snapping the head of the listener right up. When the drumbeat and vocals start, the song – 21st Century English Civil War – is further defined as a slow, cruisy number that one might feel obliged to bob their head to. But this only lasts until we reach the first chorus, where a full-blown guitar riff dominates the scene, replacing the ambience with a crisp rock/metal blast. Both singers' vocals are noticeably good on this track, and I think there couldn't be a better opener for the album. The tempo stays relatively slow and easy for the duration of the song. It finishes with an unexpected classical breakdown that extends beyond the departure of the rest of the instruments, and it is only hinted at earlier in this song, but works so well.

The tempo is revved up on track two: They Can't Take, which seems like an ode to the old-school punk such as 2006's Chaos & Mayhem. A rockin' track, and a special mention to the bass, which places its relentless rumbling above even the fierce guitar riff that drags the song along. Electronic sounds are almost completely absent. The part that grabs me is after the second chorus(?), when Mr. Bowld starts playing double time. This is an effect used several times in the album, and it's just an effect that always has and always will attract me to a rock song (as a side note, this is the one of the main reasons why the Southern Belle remix of C&M is so superior to the original). In addition to this, a passage near the end is played at half-speed, too, just so that the band can push into your face how much variation goes into each song. All in all, a brilliant rock song that surpasses 21st Century English Civil War by just a little. An excess of show-offy guitar solos, too.

When Mental Pollution (is this a reference to Very Metal Noise Pollution? I can't see how they relate, if so) begins, you immediately know that you're in for a sample of the other side of the cake. Orchestral strings, distorted and filtered to such an extent that they are barely recognizable, play a motif loaded with tension and anxiety, which is not alleviated by the addition of a dramatic drumbeat with roots in dubstep rhythms. Soon, vocals and guitar are also added, giving the song a definite direction to follow. Mental Pollution is certainly a less energetic attempt than the preceding songs, and yet again, I believe it surpasses the previous two in quality. Dubstep origins are hinted at later in the song too, when the rhythm temporarily changes to a triplet one and a harsh synth plays a few bars with the drums. This song also has a changing up in tempo, during an extended instrumental section that captures my heart (excuse the cliché) and places this song in the top three on the album. A masterpiece that serves perfectly to provide variation to the album.

Next begins the most distinctive riff on the album, possibly thanks to the track – Digital Meltdown – featuring on the Soccer AM show several weeks before any of the other tracks were available. What a perfect rock riff. It could easily be The Cult, or even Nickelback… at least until the guitar drops away, leaving the drums and the groovy slap-ridden bass riff to support the introduction of yet more rapped vocals, from exclusively Graham at this point. Groovy. Yes, that is the perfect word to describe the mood of the verses. The chorus is identical to the intro, but with the added vocals “Countdown to digital meltdown” – sure to become a catchphrase in years to come. The bridge brings around a different, almost dischordant sound with Mary taking the mic and somehow turning the song into pure hip-hop, with even a distinctive drum machine beat accompanying. Despite sounding like a completely different song, this provides a neat deviation to add interest to Digital Meltdown. A real classic, I'd say.

Now, I know someone has cited My Stupid head as the highlight of the album, but I'm afraid it doesn't do anything for me. The guitar riffs give the impression of the band being distracted while playing, and the drumbeat is unrelatable. The vocal effect results in the singing fading awkwardly into the music. I was going to write something positive here, but I'm afraid I'm all out. The least impressive song on the album, unfortunately.

And it is terrible luck that PWEI have chosen to put BOTH of the worst songs alongside one another as it sets a bad mood over the whole album. Set Sail For Death follows in a similar vein to My Stupid Head, with mediocre tunes and a frankly painful chorus. It fits well as something of a ballad on the album, but I've never been one for ballads. It is the longest song on the album, too, which is not great when it's not one you enjoy.

Middle East Street Party starts to haul the album out of the hole it fell into. The bridge is fantastic, which crunchy heavy guitar providing a bed of nails for Mary's angry vocals (not rapping this time) to rest upon. The rest of the song seems rather like a filler for the album, nothing special, but not bad. It falls on the faster end of the spectrum as far as tempo goes, and showcases Jason's drumming impressively. The last lyric is worth a mention, of course. All the instruments cut out at once, leaving Graham's voice made distant by a filter of some kind, saying “To be abrupt, we're fucked.” It is only the second appearance of a profanity on the album, and comes as a slight shock at the end of Middle East Street Party.

The beginning of Sacrifice And Pain causes me to sigh greatly, as it sounds like we're not making any progress out of that hole, but then the song starts to build up on top of the boring guitar chords and Graham's uninspiring vocals in a way that might be familiar to ravers of today's generation… and indeed, at the end of the phrase, Sacrifice And Pain reveals itself to be a drum 'n' bass track. However, to keep listeners on their toes, a loud electric guitar riff replaces the ambient electronics and Mary returns with a much more entertaining vocal contribution. While the drum pattern continues in a d'n'b style, the song has changed direction into a modern-sounding rock/rap tune. When Graham joins in though, it does make me wince a little, as he's still using the same singing style as he has on almost every song so far, which is starting to get old. Curiously, the song never returns to the styles touched upon at the beginning. The ending will come as a surprise to everybody, and I'll leave it at that. A good song, in total, but…

Not as good as Angry Man's Deathbed, which a total cracker! Brilliant, catchy drumbeat, great vocals from Graham, and very interesting contributions from Mary that mark the song as being a bit of a stand-out. A large focus on electric guitar which what sounds like three playing simultaneously at times. A very upbeat track that, if nothing else does, will eliminate eny theories that PWEI have lost it. Unfortunately a painfully short song, but it still slots in at number two in my top three.

King Kisser is a well-written and well-executed song, with a nice extended ambient beginning, a fast d'n'b beat, and crisp guitaring. However, there is something missing from it, that just stops it from being a truly great song, and the vocals draw attention to it. The only way I can describe it is that it sounds kind of… tired, and all the parts contribute to this. Still, why not have the odd tired song on your album? It is still welcome on Anti Nasty League.

So I guess we've all heard Watch The Bitch Blow from the EP that was released in in March last year, and it's still a great song, with Mary dominating the vocals with harsh, loud lines delivered with a never-before-heard ferocity, and a metal-sounding guitar and drum riff. Watch The Bitch Blow is possibly the heaviest track on Anti Nasty League. The only difference that I can identify from the original is the addition of a vocal track during the bridge, supplied by Mr. Crabb. Somehow, I can't get over how much better this makes the song – a very good choice to add the new lyrics. The guitar is still spread extremely unnervingly between the channels, which makes for an unpleasant experience when listening on earphones, but it is nevertheless a hella good song. The electronics are most mentionable, sounding very close to the “wobbing” of dubstep at times, and nicely interlocked with the guitar.

Now, I'm not sure why, but I never would have guessed that such a cracker would be lurking so close to the end, but wow, Director's Cut blows the rest of the songs out of the water, finishing the album on the best note possible (unless you happen to have a deluxe edition). It very strongly gives of that reggae vibe, with rim clicks on the snare drum and off beat chimes on a clean electric guitar; all very stereotypical of reggae music. However, this only lasts until the chorus, when suddenly the song is launched into what can only be described as full-on metal: a head-banging rush of deep guitar chords and a thrashing drumbeat, with the bass turned up to ensure that the listener gets blown off their feet. “I wish you heaven, I wish you hell,” is what I managed to decipher here, and it sounds like this will be a great track to sing along to, especially live. I'm not sure if I'm being ignorant here, but I cannot identify who is singing during the second part of the verses. Possibly a guest vocalist? (That's the problem with writing a review before the physical copy is available.) It works very well, whoever it is, complementing the reggae of the music. Then, what do you know? The drums go double-time near the end, yet again proving what it is that attracts me to a song. Director's Cut is an AWESOME song, the best on the album for sure.

Finally, if you have the deluxe edition, Graham throws the next song at you with a shouted “Smash it!” which is, of course, the name of the final track. It is another goodie, not one anyone would want to miss out on, but not up to the level as some of the earlier songs. The drumbeat is sweet, as are the bass and the vocals. I feel like the chorus lets Smash It! down a little. It slows down a great deal and the vocal line is rather dreary as compared to the energetic rapping of the verses. Makes a fairly good bonus track, I suppose.

Anti Nasty League is a fantastic album that is growing on me with every listen, but I don't think it will ever reach the level of, say, Dos Dedos Mis Amigos, or New Noise Designed By A Sadist. It does, however, strike me as the kind of album that you'll listen to and love one day, then you'll play it again the next and feel disgusted at the band for releasing such trash. Please be aware that the truth lies within the former opinion. It is the top album of 2015 and I can't wait for the physical CD to arrive.

[payback3000]

Really good insight here nice one. I will say on the first 3 listens I did not know what to make of this album. It took around 10 plays to really get my head around it. I've played this pretty much every day since last October and now even the couple of songs that didn't gel with me I now love. I'm currently placing this as my second favourite PWEI album after this is this. It's the gift that keeps on giving. Would be interesting to know your thoughts in a year or so.

[dave_van_damn]

On my third listen now. Honestly think this is may be the 2nd best PWEI album ever. It's simply fantastic. There's so many layers to the album, each track is full to the brim with musical treats from fat bass to ravey synth stabs to rock and roll riffs, power chords, squealing synth lines and moody keys. Sounds like an incredible amount of time and effort has been spent crafting these tracks. The lyrics are IMO the best Crabbi has ever written. They're funny, clever and insightful. Although I liked NNDBS, the production on this makes that album look like a collection of demos by comparison and each track on ANL flows well sequentially which I feel was absent on NNDBS. That said, I think the vocals are a bit lost at times under the guitars. But listen on some decent headphones and that problem disappears. Top stuff 9/10.

[TheFinkie]

Yes, I'm up to my fifth listen now, and it seems to be getting better and better each time!

[payback3000]

It's been hell keeping quiet about this for 6th months and I envy those of you just getting your heads around it. You have one heck of a rewarding journey ahead of you. I wonder if the band realise how good this is as they are being pretty modest about it.

[rjrteb]

God knows how many times I've listened through both ANL & JSC already. Even at this point I suspect it's more than the total number of plays through NNDBAS (I still struggle massively with that album, it still feels like a few good tracks & lots of filler). The only track I'm not completely down with yet is Sacrifice and Pain - & it's still got some great moments in it.

I feel like we ought to give JSC some love too - no-one else is mentioning it, but it's some great stuff from Crabbi. Gets better with repeated plays as well.

[payback3000]

JSC EP 1 is indeed ace so I've started a review thread over in the Crabbi section for your feedback

[RolexTharsus]

Third listen this morning. Loved it first time, gets better with every play. Feels like a full band album, Crabbi & Mary's tag team vocals are spot on, Tim's guitar style is coming to the fore, samples/ synths weave in and out perfectly, Jason & Davey are a mighty fucker of a rhythm section.

Fave tune changes with every listen, this morning was 21st Century English Civil War & King Kisser. Only tune that didn't convince initially was Middle East Street Party, but now getting a Killing Joke vibe off it and may well be top tune on the walk home tonight.

Looking forward to getting me nice big slab of red vinyl and cranking it up.

[Phil]

What pleases me about this new album is there is a sense of fun about PWEI again. Not a lot, admittedly, but Watch The Bitch Blow suggested quite a serious and heavy sounding approach. That's fine for those that like that but I always liked PWEI when they were, in their words from a very old press release, "well hefty pop".