3/5 stars
Whose side are you on? A war of sorts has broken out among fans of English ne’er-do-wells Gallows over the last few years. Some adamantly stuck to the band’s original leader, Frank Carter, as the ‘real’ version of Gallows; others have accepted the changing of the guard in the form of Alexisonfire’s Wade MacNeil.
Of course, those with a bit more logic to them are able to see merit in what both frontmen have brought to the band in separate contexts, but it’s hard to convey that in all-caps online arguments. True to their nature, Gallows Mach 2.0 have pressed on, regardless of outside opinion – and it’s resulted in Desolation Sounds, their first LP in three years and perhaps their darkest, strangest record yet.
‘Bonfire Season’ slithers through territory where the band has previously stomped, maintaining an imposing nature while still encapsulating new ideas. There’s also the furious ‘Death Valley Blue’ and ‘Mystic Death’, which harkens back in their own way to how Gallows originally established their name.
It’s beguiling and at points disconcerting, but it always comes back to a matter of both perseverance and defiance. This is Gallows right now – take it or leave it.
Desolation SoundsfromGallowsis out via Double Cross/Cooking Vinyl.
