The name Fuckshovel hardly conjures up images of a Christian fellowship does it? Fuckshovel have been around for a few years now and toured with some impressive bands; most notably being The Germs. As well as this they’ve played the prestigious SXSW festival. It’s fair to say then that they’re not a novelty band and they mean business.

Having such a striking name as they do we’re going to assume that these fellas aren’t your shy types.

Debut album ‘This Is What We Are’ kicks off with the guttural ‘Germs of Empire’ it’s exactly what you’d expect from the kind of people that enjoy earache inducing bands like Velvet Revolver and Motley Crüe. It scores highly on the basis of it’s a good choice of album opener; straight down to business. It just happens that it opts to use such a tired format. 

The album contains nothing in the way of a surprise which we realise almost instantly. Fourth track ‘Black’ is another bland punk/metal heavy track. Despite the lack of originality on display, the band more than makes up for it in talent. Vocalist Jon Stone has a powerful voice which cuts right through the equally impressive guitar work on offer. At the same time the rhythm section does a fantastic job of delivering slabs of bass dripping with swag and hammering the drums out of your speakers.

Lead single ‘Schizphonic’ does its job perfectly of being a single; it’s catchy and has a chorus you could sing a long to. 

Perhaps the best track on the whole album is ‘Skull and Bones’. In many ways this is by far the most punk of the songs on the album, whilst simultaneously retaining that 80’s metal undertone to the whole thing. It’s a bold track (most of them are) and it definitely has potential to be a single.  

Album closer ‘Portia’s Box’ opts for the more straight up punk approach. This carries on before the track erupts in a cacophony of expletives (punk) it’s a shame because it could have ended on a high. Instead it sounds like a group of ten year old’s just discovered swear words and can’t stop saying them. 

Notable mention has to go to the production on this album due to fact it is of a high standard and is exactly the type you’d expect from this genre of music. It is also in many ways the only real constant throughout.

2/5

‘This Is What We Are’ by Fuckshovel is released on 18th February.

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Words by Colin Henderson (@Colinah87)