Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes

Modern Ruin

DEATH CULT/KLS. CD/DL/LP

Second album of heavilyinked UK hard rock.

Never willing to get too comfortable in a niche, Frank Carter is one of the few distinguishable figures in the rock scene. While his exit from provincial punk brutalists Gallows saw a diversion into radio rock with Pure Love, his hastily assembled 2015 comeback with The Rattlesnakes offered a galvanised rush of energy. This follow-up is more considered, though occasionally suffers from one too many mid-paced hard rock standards. Wild-eyed and flexing, Carter is usually best experienced live; a redheaded Rollins. On the Morricone-inspired Vampires he sounds as Alex Turner might had he hung out in tattoo parlours, and Wild Flowers swaps any residual rage for melody and a strong noir aesthetic. The sub-60 seconds of Jackals reminds that hardcore is all about economy, and the howling title track easily matches the grit and bluster of QOTSA or The Bronx.