New Music – Radkey ‘Devil Fruit’ (Album)

Although ‘Devil Fruit’ is just four tracks long, it manages to make a big statement in such a short time. The E.P blows up with two Bad Brains-esqe songs, simple and unrelentingly loud. Simplicity seems to be the key throughout this release, there are no complex riffs and rarely is there a face-melting guitar solo, instead Radkey rely on catchy melodies and some real back-to-basics punk.

Especially in Start Freakin’ Out and Little Man you can hear the influence of staple punk and hardcore bands like Misfits and Bad Brains. The guitars are, again, simple and crunchy, there’s little need to use any fancy effects or over the top distortion as the tone throws you into a dingy nightclub somewhere in Washington back in the 80s.

These tracks give off all the nostalgia you could ask for whilst being able to fit into the most modern of iTunes playlists, or Spotify or whatever is coolest nowadays. Napster right?

Radkey-web

Start Freakin’ Out sounds like a Misfits track, with low, yet clean vocals and enough ‘woooaaahhs’ to conjure up memories of the 80s Horror Punk outfit. It also makes me think of the American Hardcore movements of the same decade. Like the love-child of Minor Threat and The Damned.

The third song on the album, Overwhelmed, has a grungier feel, whilst maintaining that nostalgia. This track wouldn’t feel out of place on Nirvana’s ‘Bleach’, and given all the other influence you can hear in this song, you would be excused for thinking it was written by a super-group. Not that Radkey aren’t a SUPER group.

Romance Dawn finishes the E.P off in a big way. The track opens up with what sounds like a punk war-cry before ripping open into fast paced and full blooded body of the song. It’ll make you want to swing your hair from side to side and back and forth all at the same time, adding the potential for a brain haemorrhage. It’s intense, melodic and gets stuck in the deepest part of your brain. Its a true punk anthem and certainly deserves more credit than it gets.

I talk a lot about the influences you can hear in this E.P and for one simple reason, the whole release is littered with clear pointers back to Radkey‘s personal record collection. It really is impressive that Radkey can sound like so many bands but still sound totally original.

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