Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes

End Of Suffering

Written by: PP on 03/11/2019 19:27:27

For their third album "End Of Suffering", Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes go all-in on dramatic singer-songwriter passages that fueled the sizzling venom behind songs like "I Hate You". Groovy, distorted guitars drawing from traditional rock'n'roll, and a slower tempo allows room for Carter's charismatic and coarse vocals to shine on a record that's bound to be divisive within his fan base. Forget mostly all about the hardcore edge and punk rebellion of earlier work (let alone his Gallows material): the vast majority of "End Of Suffering" aims for a rock'n'roll opera-type of an ambiance, as evident in songs like "Love Games", "Anxiety" and even album opener "Why A Butterfly Can't Love A Spider".

It need not be a bad thing, however, as Frank's enigmatic lyrical universe explores topics of love from a somewhat harsher and less polished aspect than your conventional singer-songwriters or pop artists do. It results in harrowing rock anthems full of dramatic flair and theatrical vibes, naturally larger in soundscape size than his older material. A great example is "Anxiety" which is massively more echoing than any of their previous output. But it does come with its missteps also: "Angel Wings" and "Supervillain" are regrettably forgettable, and the weird Tom Morello-featured "Tyrant Lizard King" just isn't a particularly good song.

Where the album kicks into gear, however, is from track nine "Latex Dream" onwards. A series of highlight-reel cuts follow with the piercing lyrical assault "Kitty Sucker" standing out aside the aforementioned, risque "Latex Dreams". Here, the soundscape feels dirtier and fuzzier than before, removing some of the arena-ready sizings from the mix in favour of a more intimate, raucous vibe. This weird spot between rock'n'roll and pop feels like the perfect spot to have a non-hardcore version of Frank Carter at, plus with lyrics like these, the songs are just that much more memorable:

"I am a punk rock renegade / tattooed motherfucker dripping lust for a decade / ...and you are my punk rock queen / champagne bleach blonde laser beam"

Coincidentally, it is also one of the few tracks on the record where Carter allows his voice to break into his signature-style harsh screams as we remember from "Blossom" and to a larger extent, his work with Gallows. It's a shame it is not utilized more, as his intense aggression and throat-piercing delivery was one of his best qualities as a vocalist.

So how does "End Of Suffering" compare to the other two outputs? To older Carter fans, probably "Blossom" is still king because of its hardcore edge. "Modern Ruin" was basically a stepping-stone to this album, where the material on "End Of Suffering" feels much more finished and more mature in its rowdy operatic style. Make no mistake though, we are further into singer-songwriter territory than we are to hardcore or even punk rock on this album. This scribe is left feeling like the album could've been even better provided some crackling anger, scratchier vocals, and the usual Carter trickery.

Download: Kitty Sucker, latex Dreams, Anxiety, Heartbreaker
For the fans of: Pure Love, The Bronx, Wolfmother
Listen:Facebook

Release date 03.05.2019
International Death Cult

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