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Clowns

Endless

Written by: PP on 28/01/2024 20:20:43

Fat Wreck darlings Clowns released one of the most spirited albums last year with "Endless", driven by the chaotic but piercing vocals of Stevie Williams and Hanny Tilbrook, who not only puts an evenly matched challenge against Brody Dalle during her years in The Distillers but also gives most of her male counterparts a run for their money in terms of pure attitude. Few vocalists can deliver a performance as fiery and razor-sharp as hers while remaining decipherable in the process. The same applies to Williams as well, by the way.

Stylistically, Clowns are refreshingly liberal in their approach to hardcore punk. They range from tight, in-your-face Fat Wreck-style punk rock melodies through metallic hardcore pieces to chaotic ragers like "Z3r0s & On3s". You've even got electronics thrown in for a frantic rave-like atmosphere on "I Got A Knife", whilst "Thanks 4 Nothing" features playful riffs and explosively tearing vocals that lead to a ridiculously catchy chorus. Meanwhile, "Scared To Die" consists of short bursts of chugged punk rock, and "Formaldehyde" underlines the word ferocious with its raw, breakneck speed delivery.

There's certainly lots to digest here genre-wise as Clowns appear all over the punk rock map, yet it miraculously sounds like a uniform record. It feels as if it was recorded in one take, where each song leads to the next one naturally despite the breadth of variety on offer. What other band can jump from a punk rock piece directly to a metal piece ("Sarah" to "Death Wish") and back to Comeback Kid style melodic hardcore on "Enough's Enough" without it feeling disjointed? And what about that nearly nine-minute mammoth "A Widow's Son" featuring an exhilarating, spoken-word wild West story? It comes out of nowhere to finish off the record in classic style.

Overall, Clowns deliver one hell of an explosive dynamic throughout the album. It's electrifying to listen to the Williams/Tilbrook scream dynamic, as they sing and growl their way through "Endless" and still keep it together in such a skilled fashion. It's certainly the best work Clowns have written to date, and one of the highlights from last year that you might have missed.

Download: Thanks 4 Nothing, Formaldehyde, I Got A Knife
For the fans of: The Distillers, Comeback Kid, Bad Cop/Bad Cop
Listen: Facebook

Release date 20.10.2023
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