New War - New War

  by Dave Goodwin

published: 16 / 12 / 2013

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This is a strange album. I've had to listen to it several times before writing about it. Not because it is bad, but because while at one level it is quite simple there is at another level so much going on. How does that work? If that's what this Australian quartet are after, they've done a bloody good job. Melbourne outfit New War introduce their debut self-titled album on ATP records, and it is going to spark a few questions. That is for sure. The band themselves are Chris Pugmire (ex-singer with Shoplifting), Melissa Lock (better known as the bass arm for the Seattle-based Riot Grrrl and also another former member of Shoplifting), Steve Masterson (ex-drummer with Melbourne post-punks Bird Blobs), and Jesse Shepherd( the keyboard player with Sir). All are born and bred Australians except for Lock who hails from the States. The introduction to this enjoyable yet complex album is 'Game of Love', a military-style onslaught of Pugmire chanting “Come to me, oh come to me” over a persistent drum bombardment. From the beginning it is appearent this is going to be an angst-ridden album. In general New War do have a lot to say whether it is about politics or the environment. After that first aggressive track, you might think that you have a good idea of where this album is going. But you will most likely be wrong because it does drift in and out of the irate and furious but there are some more calming moments hidden in there. An obvious comparison is PiL. The post-punk workings of Lock's battering basslines are reminiscent of Jah Wobble, and the Lydon rantings of Pugmire compliment this. 'Ghostwalking', which oddly recalls the Inspiral Carpets, and the angst-ridden 'Hourglassed' are lyrically a welcome port in an otherwise heavy noise ridden but somehow pleasurable storm. When you get to the first few seconds of 'Calling from Inside', you might think that another band has taken over with the introduction being a sort of Gregorian chant, as Pugmire reflects on a lost Eden. Not to fear though as the mayhem rides on a few seconds in. New War are a band that seems to be troubled with the hefty politics of dictatorship and repression, a trait that is captured in the energetic almost tribal chants of 'Wishlist'. 'Josef's Hands' is an eight-minute assualt on Stalinism and other dictatorial regimes, and brings this politically-charged but enjoyable debut to an end. But not quite as there is a hidden and somewhat curious bonus track nineteen minutes in. There are some moments in it that tend to wash over the listener, but on the whole this is a strong album and one that will undoubtedly put New War on the map.

Track Listing:-

1 Game of Love
2 Revealer
3 Ghostwalking
4 Hourglassed
5 Black Site Cantos
6 Calling from the Inside
7 Slim Dandy
8 Wishlist
9 Josef's Hands

Band Links:-

https://www.facebook.com/newwarmusic
http://www.newwar.com.au/

Label Links:-

https://instagram.com/atpfestival/
https://twitter.com/atpfestival
http://www.atpfestival.com/
http://atpfestival.tumblr.com/
https://www.youtube.com/user/ATPFestival
https://www.facebook.com/atpfestival

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