Hangin' Out

VISCERAL, urgent and nihilistic, Gallows are the barometer of a society on the edge of meltdown.

Their strung-out hardcore punk sounds nasty and feral and, in something of a rarity in these days of style-driven, trivia obsessed culture, it actually has something to say. Though not very politely.

Emerging from the seething cauldron of anger, discontent and punk that is, err ... Watford, Gallows have given voice to a newly disposed generation; they are, if you like, the sound of the new recession.

And the soundtrack to this unfurling litany of decline and desperation is the unrelentingly bleak Grey Britain.

The album, follow up to 2006’s explosive debut Orchestra Of Wolves has been described as Gallows’ State of the Nation address – a wake-up call to a land of poverty, petty violence, bad diet, worse attitudes, dole queues, decay, drugs, ignorance, knives, gangs, and of ASBOs worn as badge of honour.

“Since our first album we’ve been out there and travelled the world," says blunt-speaking, elaborately-tattooed frontman Frank Carter, who leads his gang of ruffians to Oxford’s O2 Academy tonight.

“We’ve seen other cultures and now written a record about everything bad we've seen - but especially here in Britain.

"The racism, the ignorance, the hopelessness, the lack of ethical understanding. Grey Britain is about life in a selfish society, where greed and aggression rules, aspirations are low and a young generation is desensitized to the world around them.

The album climaxes with a mass suicide of feelings, of sorts – there’s a sense that without change there can be no future.”

Songs such as London Is the Reason, I Dread The Night and Misery fire a broadside at selfish, lazy, and dishonest people. And Frank is keen that his vitriol reaches its target.

“We’ve never been about mincing words,” he adds.

"I've even toned down and self-censored on this record in order to use the English language more intelligently. The violence and filth is still very much there – that’s who we are – but it’s no longer confined by a vocabulary of curse words.”

It’s impossible to overstate the impact of first album Orchestra Of Wolves on the UK punk scene.

Inspired by the likes of Refused, At The Drive-In and JR Ewing, it captured the imagination of a generation of music fans bored by scenesters going through the motions.

And, along with their terrifying stage shows, it earned them the reputation as the fiercest kids on the block.

Finding themselves on a bit of a roll, they have gone and upped the ante – going harder, heavier, louder, deeper and, it has to be said, bleaker.

“All bands say that,” says Frank.

“And it's such a cliché, but when people hear it, I think they’ll understand.”

Their image of England as a crumbling, concreted-over wasteland without a future is likely to bristle with red-blooded patriots.

But despite their vantage point at the heart of the Home Counties, they have never set out to impress retired army majors or the WI.

According to guitarist Laurent Barnard, the band have something to say. And, at last, a chance to say it.

“Why sign a major label record contract and say nothing?” he says.

“We see other bands being told what to do by their paymasters, but we’re not one of them. This record is a kick up the (behind); to us, to everyone.

“You can’t change the machine, but you make people open their eyes and, where necessary, change their lives.”

“So many rock bands today seem content with Champagne and sluts and five nights at Brixton Academy,” spits Frank.

“Wave after wave of self-parodies and careerists content to steal from their peers.

“We want to be remembered for something more.

“Because here’s the thing: I don’t care how many copies our album will sell; we are arguably the British music industry’s biggest mistake. Honestly.

“But if it helps inspire a better wave of music in its wake – if we’re able to sow some seeds – then I will consider our job done, and we’ll bow out.”

The band play the O2 Acadeny, Oxford tonight. Support comes from Every Time I Die and Hexes. Tickets are £13 in advance.

NOOSE-FLASH Squeal piggy! Claims by the band that they personally recorded the sound of a pig being slaughtered at a Spanish abbatoir, for use on the new album, have been retracted.

The comment had caused outrage, revulsion and an interesting offer to team up with an animal rights group on spreading awareness of slaughterhouse methods. It also got the band lots of publicity.

Although the pig’s fate was real, they band admit they actually downloaded its squeal from the Internet.