Album Review by Mark Bayross
After the well-received VOID and FALLEN EPs comes the debut album from FULC, and it’s easy to see why the Leeds-based four piece have been winning so much “best new band in Britain”-style praise.
From the explosive opening shot of NOT LAZY, this album is musical exocet direct to the jugular, taking in walls of abrasive guitar, driving bass, thunderous drums and Duane Walker’s throaty roar. Produced by Mark Thomas, engineer on all of Muse’s recordings, FULC’s songs how have the necessary muscle to convincingly fulfil the potential displayed by their earlier output.
This is particularly evident on the re-recorded versions of the EP tracks: the stop-start bursts of guitar and military snare drums of DRAWN OUT and driving, Nirvana-style bite of DOLLY (complete with spectacular finish) now rush out of the speakers and floor you like you always hoped they would.
But it’s clear from the new songs that this debut album is as much about looking forward as it is about revisiting past glories. The soaring sonic assault of FEET or the electro-punk rush of HAIR TRIGGER take FULC on to new levels, while the epic closer (before the inevitable muck-around hidden track) AGAIN revisits the Tool-style experimentation hinted at on EVOLUTION.
BITING INSOMNIA is a fantastic debut that should finally establish FULC as a force on the British rock scene. What’s even more exciting is that there’s a feeling that this is merely the tip of the iceberg and there’s plenty more to come.
