Music: Lower Slaughter – Some Things Take Work

Riff Now, For Tomorrow We May Die

It seems like ages ago (it was only 2017) that Flush were screaming the praises of the feral energy rock force that is Lower Slaughter (HERE) upon the release of their debut Mjölnir (Thor’s hammer) of an album ‘What Big Eyes’, a visceral raw room and bass speaker destroyer of an album from the very first opening cords.

It will always be a joy to say Lower Slaughter are back, and indeed they are, with their second album ‘Some Things Take Work’ now upon us to deliver us from all sorts of evils, and if maybe not actually deliver us, it will at least distract us from the shite around us as we base jump into the riff pit with wild abandon.

Whereas the opener ‘Bone Meal’ on the debut smashed in like a drunk giddy cocky young upstart, a few years have passed, and everyone has grown/evolved somewhat, so the opening moments of ‘Gas’ on the second album are slightly deceptive (quite apt given the subject of the track) in lulling you into a misplaced perception. Rather than exploding through the speakers at a thousand miles a riff, it’s initially somewhat rolling Leviathan melancholic as Sinead’s effectively snarls ‘Trying to please you makes me hate myself’, which as an opening line to a sophomore album is a somewhat beautiful journey statement of self empowerment, truth, self awareness and Fuck You to any potential oppressors or doubters.
Of course the tectonic plates of sound quickly change and the ‘Gas’ tsunami riffs roar through with the Sinead’s battle cry of defiance, rock pimples explode across our bodies, and Sinead, nor us are EVER taking this shit again.

Whereas the debut album dealt with more mystical themes, this album is far more of this earth, and coping with existing on it. It comes across as far more personal (Sinead writes all the lyrics), and because of that far more potent, even if you’ve never met the band (you should, they are incredibly lovely), it feels that they are writing the soundtrack to your life, difficulties ‘n all. 

Particularly the title track ‘Some Things Take Work’ which is a ferocious scream of brutal honesty and vulnerability that is immediately super power enhancing by it’s mere expression. It’s like shouting Shazam and going to war on mental negativity. Is it too early to say it’s classic Lower Slaughter, as it’s a glorious anthem of passion, commitment and defiance. It also has to be a swaying nod to the fact that the band recorded the album over long distance as members are based at both ends of the UK, so yeah, it does take work.

Sinead’s lyrics are definitely and defiantly clearer on this album, the power is still there (though I do slightly miss the garage roughness of the debut), but so too an ever increasing amount of honesty, which only enhances the integrity, ‘Into The Woods’ when her voice melds beautifully with the rest of the sound and they all soar to higher planes of existence, well at least on top of the pit as we crowd surf to salvation.

They may be working from different parts of the country, but this is absolutely an entity of pure focused power where all the members complement each other extraordinarily well in a common goal, message and pure energy.

The personal growth (sometimes painful as it may be) continues in the absolute joy that is ‘Hindsight’, a gorgeous ferocious ode to past times, moments, people. A rolling, swaying riff laden dream of a track that again takes you sailing into better times, good christ it’s going to be STUNNING live!

I’d mentioned in the review for their debut about how it reminded me of the invigorating and bracing freshness of Austrian winter winds first thing in the morning. The first time I listened to ‘Some Things Take Work’ was a crappy Monday morning deep in the political rabies infected bowels of a London tube, and despite the insanity of the immediate world around me, this album brought focus, purpose, empowerment, unity, clarity and vision. 
Yes, everything seems fucked up, which is clearly having an effect on our own headspaces. But, with a bit of work WE can change it. The solution isn’t going to come from the self serving incompetent bellends at the top, it’s going to come from US, and Lower Slaughter clearly are us, ‘one body, one mind’ ‘The Body’.

9/10
Lower Slaughter ‘Some Things Take Work’ is out now on Box records, check facebook.com/lowerslaughter for tour details.