Album Review: Slaves, Take Control

Last year, Tunbridge Wells punk duo Slaves cracked the mainstream with their debut Are You Satisfied?, following in the footsteps of Gallows by being the “noisy band that’s accepted by the indie kids.” So how will the unwitting darlings of the critics respond to their new roles as the poster boys of modern punk. Hell, some are even suggesting they’ve sold out after hearing they’ve gone big time by recording their second album in LA with the Beastie Boys’ Mike D.

Thankfully those assumptions couldn’t be further from the truth. Take Control is an unfiltered barrage of twisted lyrics wrapped around biting guitars. ‘Hypnotized’ is a beast of a track that stomps along in the vein of The Cramps; ‘Rich Man’ is like Murder City Devils covering PiL; and ‘Same Again’ introduces a metal edge to proceedings. It’s not all about buzzsaw riffing, as synths (‘Consume Or Be Consumed’) and some slightly more tender, drum machine-based numbers (‘Steer Clear’) pepper proceedings, making songs like the venomous title track all the more potent. Detractors take note – Slaves definitely mean it, maaaaan.