Spoilers - There or Thereabouts LP - Green With Purple & Blue Splatter Vinyl

Brassneck / Waterslide / Rad Girlfriend / SBÄM (2023)

I have a major complaint with this album.  I get it in the mail, I'm excited to hear something new by a band that I like and it's only eight songs?  How dare Spoilers write eight perfect melodic punk songs and have the temerity to stop there and not write three or four more?  I am being deprived of more great melodic punk and I won't stand for it.  Sure, sure it's very clear on every label's website that it's a mini album, but do you expect me to admit that I didn't notice that at first?  Am I supposed to cop to the fact that maybe the band didn't release this only with me in mind?  Never.

All kidding and stupidity aside, whether this release was two songs or twenty songs long, it would be in the upper echelon of albums I've heard this year.  I've liked Spoilers for a while now and have all of their other records, but this one is hitting me differently this time.  There's so many amazing hooks and melodies in this album.  In the past I'd compared them to Demma-era Snuff, but they've evolved a bit from there and while that Snuff energy is still there for sure, I'm really hearing a different kind of melody, a Crocodile God/Mark Murphy style delivery that punches me right in the face.

I really can't say enough good things about this album and I was serious when I said every song is pretty much perfect.  I very selfishly wish there were a few more songs on here, but only because I just want more once the record ends.  Hopefully Spoilers are hard at work and have more songs in the hopper ready to for a full or maxi or whatever we need to call the album type to get me more of these great songs.

Spoilers - There or Thereabouts:
https://brassneckrecords.bandcamp.com/album/there-or-thereabouts

Spoilers - Roundabouts LP - Cornetto Vinyl (/150)

Brassneck / Boss Tuneage / Little Rocket / SBAM / Waterslide (2018)

I took way too long to buy this record.  I knew it was going to be good based on prior EPs I had by Spoilers, but the full length came out at a time where I was a bit strapped for cash due to moving into my first home.  The extra shipping was something that I felt I needed to push back for a bit.  Once I was able to add a few more records to the package, I finally had Brassneck send this album over and after listening to it over the past few weeks, I'm even more annoyed that I waited so long.  This absolutely should have been in my top albums of the year list, probably quite high too,

To me, Spoilers sound like if Snuff was fronted by Mark from Crocodile God.  The vocals are melodic and of a higher pitch, but that is combined with an organ drenched punk rock sound that would have been right at home on Demmamussabebonk.  Much like later era Snuff, I tend to prefer the mid tempo songs on Roundabouts the most like "The Same Again," "Skimming Stones" and "Collision Course."  The latter of which has a vocal melody that reminds me of the Cat Stevens song "Father and Son."  Though let's be serious, I don't really know the Cat Stevens version of the song very well, I'm much more familiar with the cover by Horace Goes Skiing.

I don't love the really fast songs as much.  The ones with that galloping NOFX style drum beat sort of just blow by in a haze.  But, I feel the same way about most Snuff songs like that as well, and they are one of my favorite bands of all time.  Roundabouts is a killer record and Spoilers are very quickly becoming one of my current favorite UK bands.  To top it all off, they're about to play some shows opening up for Guns N Wankers.  I mentioned this on Twitter once, but I'll repeat it here, if anyone wants to give me a plane ticket to the UK for those shows, I'll be your best friend.

Spoilers - Roundabouts:
https://brassneckrecords.bandcamp.com/album/roundabouts

Spoilers - Stay Afloat 12" - Blue w/ Splatter Vinyl

Brassneck / Boss Tuneage (2015)

Let me tell you something, when Spoilers are clicking for me they're at the very top level of current punk rock bands that I like.  The only issue that I have is that as far as my taste in music goes, Stay Afloat has its moments that veer sharply into territory I don't like as much.

There are two main reasons I didn't pick this up right when it came out.  The first was postage related and I was waiting for the chance to bundle it up with some other records that I wanted from the UK.  The second reason is that I just don't like the lead track on this EP, "All For One."  It flies by at two thousand miles an hour, leans heavily on that galloping drum beat that I really don't care for and has biting, shouted lyrics.  It's kind of a perfect storm of tthings that turns me off of bands.  Spoilers don't play this style of music poorly or anything, it's just not the kind of thing I like to listen to.

Once you get past that opening song though, the next two songs on side A are simply tremendous.  They're much more in line with the sort of middle tempo, organ fueled pop that Snuff has mastered late in their career.  The vocals are super melodic, a stark comparison to the prior song's shouting, and they've worked in hooky choruses in all the right places.  I couldn't ask for two better songs, truthfully.  

When you flip over to side B, we have the exact same scenario.  The first song is too fast and loud for me, but the next two are essentially perfect.  It's and interesting situation.  Six songs, two of which I don't like, but four that are among the best UK punk songs I've heard in quite some time.  Those four are great enough that I recommend this 12" without hesitation, but I definitely hope the band goes in the direction of their more melodic work as they move forward and put out more records.

Spoilers - Stay Afloat 12":

https://brassneckrecords.bandcamp.com/album/spoilers-stay-afloat

The No Marks / Spoilers - Split 7" - Gray Vinyl (/330)

Brassneck / Boss Tuneage (2016)

This fun little 7" came out on Brassneck records, familiar to some as one of the great labels that PopKid records got to co-release the Chestnut Road record with.  I've been a fan of Brassneck for a bit now.  In the short time they have been a label, they've managed to amass a catalog of bands that I'm really into.  One of the bands towards the very top of this list is The No Marks.

Their side of this 7" contains 3 songs, each highlighting a different strength of the band.  "Spirit" starts off with a cavernous drum beat that quickly bleeds into jagged guitar riffs and gravelly vocals calling into the night.  On "Guilt As A Control Mechanism" the band picks up the pace with a breakneck verse traveling at a thousand miles an hour, but just wait for the chorus that hook will pull you in immediately.  Lastly they serve up "Get Out," a 30 second semi-hardcore blast, not dissimilar from the sort of track Snuff would toss on a record to break things up.

Speaking of Snuff, that leads to the folks on the other side of the record, Spoilers.  Coming off the heels of a strong 12" EP (which I do have, but haven't reviewed yet), the two songs on this 7" are my favorite songs of theirs to date.  They have a strong Snuff influence, clearly seen on the organ fueled "The Same Again."  The backing 'whoa's' are right where you'd want them and there's a fast, catchy mod vibe that reminds me a lot of The 'Tone on top of the already mentioned Snuff influence.  

Their second contribution "Lost Your Way" is more straight forward.  It's faster, though I would say the drumming isn't particularly dynamic for most of the song.  Though everything comes together nicely at the end for an extremely poppy chorus.  It's the weaker of the two songs, but this is a band I will absolutely be keeping tabs on.  The flashes of brilliance they have are extremely bright.  All in all this is a pretty great 7".  Two bands making the kind of punk rock I want to listen to.

The No Marks / Spoilers - Split 7":

https://brassneckrecords.bandcamp.com/album/the-no-marks-spoilers-split-7