★★★½

Ever been in a rage so potent you became almost incoherent? Welcome toThe Peace & Truce Of Future Of The Left.

Andrew ‘Falco’ Falkous’ wordplay still comes as thick and fast as ever, but for the most part his punches are short and sharp on this brutish new record. In its second crowdfunded and self-produced album, the whole outfit has doubled down on aggression.

This has its downsides: Peace & Truce is not as musically ambitious as How To Stop Your Brain In An Accident, with its emphasis on sludging guitar grooves. The perverted bass slides of ‘Running All Over The Wicket’ and the clap-driven ‘50 Days Before The Hun’ make for great variance, and ‘The Limits Of Battleships’ will surely prove an unstoppable force under the spotlight of FOTL’s intense live shows. Taking pride of place, of course, are Falco’s lyrics: he stands like a battered jester, holding sway over a drunken crowd as it exalts the end of the world.

It’s every bit as aggressive and abrasive as we deserve, but can’t compare to the band’s more diverse efforts. Peace & Truce will find its strength on tour.

Future Of The Left’sThe Peace & Truce Of Future Of The Leftis out now on Remote Control.

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