Black International – A Lesson In Repression

Having grinded on the Scottish circuit for several years now, powerhouse drummer Craig Peebles and guitarist/frontman Stewart Allan return with a refined sophomore excursion. The Edinburgh duo's second offering regularly deviates from its predecessor's straightjacket of punk rock, transformative in its abilities to push boundaries. It's a textured beast, with a sound that ricochets through its own essence, ghost-like and enchanting yet frivolous in its experimental prowess.

Their sound is riddled with euphoric bursts and prolonged lapses between the gritty, scratching guitar and occasional strum of a lone acoustic. The dirty, visceral punk of Silence is contrasted with songs such as Panopticon, acting as a mellow, reflective companion with a dark reverb through the soundscape of its own breath. Deliciously self-aware, the record forces its fingers around the throats of our preconceptions, at least temporarily quenching the thirst for that much-needed full-blown punk rock revival. [Mina Green]