Reviewed by Oscar Hyde

False Idle hail from Boise, Idaho, admittedly not a particularly fecund breeding-ground for famous punk bands. They've taken their music to heart, though; this is the loud, raw, shouty kind of punk, full-throated, full-blooded, late skate punk, complete with shout-along gang choruses. The guitars are a little low in the mix, but that's okay; the drums CLUNK satisfyingly, the sort of percussion that really does sound as if it's been recorded in a garage, that pounds on the bone and sets blood throbbing. The licks are still fairly simplistic, though can be plenty of fun, such as the zig-zagging outro to "I Refuse". This isn't brash skate punk, either; the tone's actually fairly foreboding, particularly in the opening riffs of "Incomplete" and "Fear Of Man", the latter of which harmonises the doomy chords with a siren. The lyrics stick with the general underground punk theme - dissatisfaction with life as it's been presented and desire for something more. It's not until the last song that any variation on the lyrical theme presents itself - the love of the Saviour is the answer to the dissatisfaction.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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