Drones
Exiled – Lockjaw Records
With the boundaries blurring further between the genres the rise of acts such as Vukovi and Brutai have been assured for some time. Drones are another in a similar but still unique mould. The melding of punk, metal, indie and rock used to be an awkward affair but here it is seamless. Exiled grabs you by the lapels right from the intro to opener For Those Who Care and refuses to let go until the last notes of end tune Born & Erased have receded. There’s a little bit of nostalgia in Black Blood an bona fide modern day ballad, something every band used to put on a record but don’t seem to do very often these days. Its softer tones are tempered with strong writing which enables it to carry the momentum of the album but at a slower tempo. Inferno does what it says on the tin and threatens to torch everything it touches. The raw production on this track gives it a real edge making it a single in waiting. With the major labels looking to manufacture groups to continue their money making merry go round it’s acts like Drones that are actually making new music, and making music relevant.