#12 - Tri-Subversion — Free Chopper Rides (Ubertroll Recordings)

 

With their third full-length outing, 'Free Chopper Rides', Leicester’s Tri-Subversion have effectively scorched the blueprint of their previous records to build something far more formidable. Recorded “live” in visceral single takes at Quad Studios by Bob Bryars, and shaped by the production of Stuart Robinson (Bo Bo Nomad), this release is a deliberate ramping-up from their earlier work. While 2021’s 'Project Fear' and 2023’s 'You Are The Carbon' nestled them among the pillars of modern anarcho punk, 'Free Chopper Rides' finds the band getting more agitated, but being able to contain that anger just enough to let the weight of their cynicism truly sink in.

The shift in delivery is immediately apparent. Tri-Subversion have never been the "bang-bang-1-2-3-4" franticness of their peers, opting instead for a heavier, more muscular approach. By leaning into a style defined by dynamics, they create a tension that feels far more threatening than pure velocity. This isn't just noise; it’s a "muscular, gorilla-of-a-grind" that allows room for Clive Wojcik-Hale’s guitar and Julian Palmer’s vocals to project a more focused, authoritative anger.

Even at seventeen songs long, Tri-Subversion do not outstay their welcome as they lyrically have plenty to say with their scathing, cynical autopsy of a "sick state of the world." From the bruising aftershock of the opener Eat Shit And Die to the drilling, speed-garage of Popcorn, the band stabs at societal decay with surgical precision. Tracks like Motherland showcase a "sludge bucket" of noise that remains rooted in their anarcho roots, while Four Days serves as an anxiety inducing reminder of how close we sit to the edge of collapse. And perhaps my favourite is the 'friggin in the riggin' cynicism of NGO War.

Big Brother isn't watching you, he's fucking with you.

Released via Ubertroll Recordings on 22.11.25, 'Free Chopper Rides' is the sound of a band reaching their "authoritative style." It is a heavy, demanding, and ultimately rewarding record that proves Tri-Subversion are at their most dangerous when they have the space to breathe. This isn't just a punk record; it's a "nerve-jangler" for 2026.

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Ubertroll Recordings · Free Chopper Rides - Tri Subversion

#11 - System Of Hate – There Is No Madness Here

 

This has been on my hard-drive since its 2018 release and was regularly played on my show at the time. It was only last month that I realised I didn't actually have the physical copy. So, taking advantage of a Louder Than War sale, I parted with £3 (YES! £3!) and now own it.

'There Is No Madness Here' is a deliberately austere, confrontational record, one that commits fully to a cold, stripped-back goth sound and an explicitly anti-God stance. The music is built on bleak repetition: downcast guitar figures, rigid rhythms, and an atmosphere that favours oppression over release. It’s goth not as romance or decadence, but as severity and ritual, locking the listener into a narrow emotional corridor and refusing to offer relief.

Lyrically, the album’s hostility toward religion is neither symbolic nor playful. Its anti-God position is stated plainly and pursued with unwavering conviction, less an attempt to shock than a declaration of belief. That certainty gives the album coherence and purpose. Tracks often blur together, reinforcing the suffocating mood and compelling you to continue your hobby of sacrificing small children.

The vinyl release on Louder Than War Records suits the ethos well, though it comes with one baffling flaw: there is nothing whatsoever to indicate which side is A or B. No label cue, no run-out etching, no subtle hint—just trial, error, and mild existential irritation. It’s a small detail, but one that feels oddly careless on an otherwise deliberate release (I got it right first time btw).

Visually, the sleeve is far more assured. Its simplistic darkness mirrors the music perfectly: unadorned, oppressive, and confident enough not to explain itself. It’s the kind of artwork that doesn’t try to seduce you - it simply sits there, waiting.

And while the record itself projects severity, it’s worth noting one of the human hands behind it. Pat Crawford, despite his satanistic goat-burning sensibilities, is by all accounts a genuinely decent and approachable presence - an irony that only deepens the album’s tension between ideology and personality.

In the end, 'There Is No Madness Here' is best understood as a committed, niche statement. It doesn’t seek to persuade or entertain so much as to assert. Within its self-imposed limits, it succeeds; outside them, it remains impenetrable by design.

#10 - Head! – Tales Of Ordinary Madness (1994)

Doing an A-Z of my collection had me in an AC/DC padded cell, and I was only three headbanging albums out of eight in... So I randomly picked out this one, having never played it before. 

Head! (from Bristol) released 'Tales Of Ordinary Madness' in 1994, and some years later it was picked up by myself from Cob Records in Bangor for £2.95, and to be honest, I feel short changed. 

Not even sure why I bought it. Maybe a punt as it was so cheap? Maybe because I knew Nick Sheppard was in the band; he had been in that semi-disastrous (Cut The) Crap version of The Clash (although he's not on this Head! album). Or I may have asked them to play me a track in Cob Records and I was allured to the Mike Patton-esq vocals? 

The striking sleeve is probably the best thing about it.

I've only played side one, and can't bring myself to flip it over for fear of launching either it, or myself out of the window.

What works against 'Tales Of Ordinary Madness' is it certainly failed to make a strong first impression. The sound sits firmly in the mid-’90s alternative moment: loose, trying to be overly clever, and more concerned with atmosphere than impact. Instead of sharp hooks or a sense of danger, the record trundles along at a low simmer, which can feel understated or simply flat depending on your patience (I've lost mine).

The songwriting isn’t actively poor, but it’s underdefined—tracks blur together, ideas arrive and move on without leaving much of a mark. Repeated listens may reveal a certain moody cohesion, yet the lack of standout moments makes it hard to fully invest. Time hasn’t been especially kind to the production either; some textures now feel dated rather than evocative.

Ultimately, side one comes across as a low-key, uneven record that rewards commitment more than curiosity, and I doubt side two, if I had the courage, would change my mind. It’s not without merit, but it asks a lot from the listener and doesn't really give anything back.

Here; try it out for yourself and let me know in the comments below...

My Collection #3 - A - Hi-Fi Serious

A – Suffolk alt-rockers (1993–2005, 2008–present), feat; Jason Perry (voc), Adam Perry (drms), Giles Perry (kybd,voc), Mark Chapman (gtr), Daniel P. Carter (bass,voc). 

The band formed in the coastal town of Lowestoft, Suffolk, where the Perry brothers and Chapman originally started out in a progressive rock outfit called Grand Designs before rebranding as A. They became the town's most famous musical export of the era, eventually trading the Suffolk coast for global tours and Top 10 success with Hi-Fi Serious. Despite their move to the big time, they’ve often been associated with the local East Anglian scene that later produced bands like The Darkness.

They exploded into the mainstream with their third album Hi-Fi Serious (released 4th April 2002), which shifted away from their quirkier pop-punk roots toward a polished, heavy alt-rock sound. It reached No.18 in the album charts.

The record spawned their massive Top 10 hit "Nothing" and the follow-up anthem "Starbucks," earning them a Kerrang! Award for Best British Band and a headline slot at Brixton Academy.

Not sure how I ended up with a copy of this as it's not really my thing; almost bordering and crossing over to that whiny stuff that causes acid reflux within me. Plus, A is an absolutely rubbish name for a band, possibly the worst in the history of shit band names. That said, the album is OK, even if it's not really my bag.

After the peak of Hi-Fi Serious, the band struggled to maintain momentum when their label, London Records, was caught up in a corporate buyout, shelving their 2005 follow-up Teen Dance Ordinance for a year. The delay killed their commercial buzz, and they were dropped by Warner Music shortly after its release, leading to a hiatus due to financial strain. During the break, Jason Perry became a successful producer (McFly, Don Broco), and Daniel P. Carter became the face of BBC Radio 1's Rock Show. They reunited in 2008 and have since remained a "sporadic" live act, playing festivals like Download, and are currently slated to release their first new studio album in over 20 years in 2026.