Chickenhawk – Modern Bodies

This record actually marks the coming together of Chickenhawk's limited edition debut album and its following EP, awkwardly titled the A. Or Not?, plus Scorpieau, previously only available via compilation. Given that mixed bag of sessions, Modern Bodies makes for a surprisingly fluid listen. Their take on bludgeoningly heavy rock with a subtle, sneering raunchiness is similar to that of Icelandic miscreants Minus.

Fierce, rolling riffs and turbulent drumming are mashed into a dense paste with choppy metal and a quirky sense of Daughters-esque mania. Aforementioned opener Scorpieau is an especially great attention-grabber whilst Matt Reid's rabid, compelling drumming is to the fore on Son Of CERN. The backgound staff here have a good pedigree with engineers, producers etc having worked with everyone from Napalm Death and The Pixies to Jeff Beck, so it's a sturdy, punchy recording. There's an entertainingly knowing swagger about Chickenhawk sadly missing from most of their stoic, heavy contemporaries. [Chris Cusack]