Wartgore Hellsnicker is a very good name for a band. I am just hoping that it isn’t some kind of Harry Potter reference because that would very much affect the nature of this review. On first glance, Wartgore Hellsnicker are a bit like a throwback to the Brit rock metal thing that happened in parallel with Grunge (it was a long time ago kids) but that is unfair to a band this good, because Terrorvision, The Almighty etc were SHIT. If anyone disagrees then get in touch and I’ll tell you in exhausting detail why you are wrong.
Firstly none of those bands ever wrote anything as catchy as “C+F=POW” which is a near perfect little blast of tuneful, catchy and slightly sweaty rock action. The semi-inebriated female / group chorus section in the middle (actually the whole song) has been bouncing round in my head for a while now. “Karl vs Groucho” takes the little snatches of trumpet on display in “C+F=POW” and expands on the idea by abducting a bar mitzvah band and throwing in a little oompah action. Sounds weird but totally works.
“I Need Your Love” is some more of the same well written and excitingly produced stuff, with a great chorus and riffage that doesn’t outstay its welcome, a description that can be applied happily to “Ten To Two”. So a fairly straight up British rock record that I like a great deal. Who on earth would have thought it ?
Kim Monaghan
