The new wave of the old school
Back in the winter of 2015, MV found itself in Birmingham watching Portrait. Opening for the Swedish trad metal lords that evening were Northern Ireland’s Rabid Bitch Of The North. We liked them. A lot actually, and wrote this: “RBOTN’s frontman Joe McDonnell ushered in “Trapped In 1999” by explaining that their sound is to rebel against the crap that came out in the 1990s, we’d suggest that they belong about 20 years earlier. By last song “Us Against Them” MVM is lining up to fight on their side.”
Fast-forward to now and RBOTN are finally ready to unleash their debut album on the waiting world. This is rather more eagerly anticipated than many debut records might be, which is testament to just how many gigs they’ve played, how many EP’s they’ve sold – but more importantly, how good they are.
And make no mistake these eight songs – surely even that is a knowing nod to the classic albums of the late 70s and early 80s that always seemed to be that length? – are very, very good indeed.
Truly a DIY effort, the reason that it took the band so long to get in the studio was they all couldn’t get time off, it is recorded and produced by the bands own guitarist Gerard Mulholland and it is meant as a compliment to say that you would never know that it was a record from the 21st century in any sense.
How a trio sounds this mighty has always been a mystery to MV, but McDonnell spits out “The Missionary” is if lives depend on it, and “Chance” proves that the opener is not a fluke.
It is interesting, perhaps that on one hand you might call this a gallop, and of course a band like this is happy to wear its influences on its rancid denim jacket, but this is not especially derivative. Rather, there’s a dollop of Maiden (and why wouldn’t there be? They are the greatest band in the world. As ever, MV will not debate this) but you are more likely to find the work of bands like Angel Witch here.
There is a glorious innocence about all this. The title track comes with a chorus that you will hum for days, and if your fists aren’t in the air by the end, you don’t deserve arms. “Gilded Men” adds a touch of Thin Lizzy’s “Emerald” – if it was being sung by Ronnie James Dio rather than Phillo that is – and “God Of Punishment” is a sneeringly strident attack on religion, just because that’s what Heavy Metal should do.
And that is rather the point. If Joe, Gerry and Chris weren’t in a band like this, they’d be watching bands like this. Which is also why this is too savvy to be an homage. After all, you don’t spend a lifetime immersed in something without your own ideas as to how it should sound. “Demon Mind” is suitably evil, while “Defending Two Castles” unleashes the shackles, cuts loose and really goes for it.
Closing with the song we mentioned in the review a couple of years ago, “Trapped In 1999” which adds some faux-operatic vocals just for fun, it is tempting to look back on the 1990s (give or take a Backyard Babies here or a Wildhearts there) as an aberration.
Conventional wisdom says grunge came to kill all this off, in favour of something new. Rabid Bitch Of The North are here almost a quarter of a century later to prove that always was nonsense of the highest order. Get on your studded belts and double denim, raise your fists in the air and play this loud. And when you’re doing so, stick up a middle finger to anyone who ever told you Heavy Metal was gonna die.
Rating 8/10
