Album Review: Nightmare On Misery Street by Question The Mark

The beginning of January is basically that time where I catch up with releases that came out late in the year before and didn't have enough time to spend much time with. One such release came from Welsh punks Question The Mark who released a brand new EP on Little Rocket Records. Titled Nightmare On Misery Street, it features three brand new tracks of distinctive gruff punk rock.

Opening with the EP’s title track, I'm instantly reminded of what I loved about Question The Mark when I first heard them a few years ago on the Smoke Signals EP. The vocal is one of the most distinctive in the UK gruff punk scene and it really adds something a little different to the QTM sound. Nightmare On Misery Street starts out quite slowly with Rich's bass and Lewis' drums introducing us into the EP before the vocals comes in and we're off and running. Like all the best gruff punk, it instantly has me wanting to sing-along. The melody does a superb job of drawing you in and helps the song get caught in your head. In one song I'm already remembering just what a superb band Question The Mark are. The second track on the EP is Perk U Later. This song starts with some lovely guitar work that quickly fills the song with a great energy. It has you thinking we're getting another melody filled track, which we do get for a little while before it switches to more of a stabby and to the point style. By the end of the song you'll be shouting "never gonna get it" back at the band as loudly as you possibly can with your fist high in the air – it's that kind of song. The EP finishes with Where There's A Pill, There's A Way. Not bothering with an introduction to the song, the band launch straight into a song about using prescription drugs to help you live your life. I say this so much but I am always so impressed when a band uses their music to discuss mental health. The more people talk about it the better. The song feels much more urgent than the previous two, probably due to the higher tempo and the strained backing vocal adding an excellent harmony.

I loved all three of these songs. Question The Mark have been going for a little while now and seemed like a bit of a well kept secret in the punk scene in the south of the UK. Nightmare On Misery Street could definitely open a few more doors for them around the country and further afield. A great introduction for new fans as well as an impressive return for older fans.

Stream and download by Misery On Nightmare Street here: https://questionthemark.bandcamp.com/

Like Question The Mark here: https://www.facebook.com/questionthemark/

This review was written by Colin Clark.