First listen- Maximo Park and Gallows return.

Gallows- 'The Vulture' (Part II)

Everybody's favourite major label punk band come back with more tattoos and even more attitude than they showed on 'Orchestra Of Wolves' in 2008. The Vulture, the first foray into the forthcoming new album 'Grey Britain', is a relentless audio pummeling so intense that it feels on the precipice of destruction. Frank Carter's vocals are gritty and bold, a deep swirling growl bursting forth from the huge sounding drums and guitars. Nothing new here to entice the haters but more than enough to enrapture the masses who have already taken this band to their hearts.

Maximo Park- 'The Kids Are Sick Again'

Hmmm, I love Maximo Park but the early signs of 'Quicken The Heart' aren't looking too promising. The free download 'Wraithlike' was certainly a grower and is now lodged somewhere near the best things I've heard this year however I can't help feeling it was a desire to like it that informed my opinion rather than the quality of the music itself. 'The Kids Are Sick Again' is another initially underwhelming effort. This is a band who premiered previous albums with 'Apply Some Pressure' and 'Our Velocity', massively urgent songs with energy and heart in abundance. This single though feels phoned in, as if Maximo Park issued a guide book to writing their songs then used it to the letter to create new material. Let's hope it grows with repetition and the album is hiding a few gems.

First listen- Maximo Park and Gallows return.