Album Review: And Then What Happened Was… by Kill The Rooster (by Lee Morton)

One of my favourite new band discoveries in the past couple of years has been Danish punks Forever Unclean so when I heard that Kill The Rooster was made up of two thirds of them I jumped at the chance to review their new EP. Having formed way back in 2007 and with a number of EPs and a full-length album under their belt, my expectations were set high and this didn’t disappoint.

Expecting more of the skate punk and melodies that Forever Unclean are known for, I was initially surprised by opening track “Machine”, kicking off as it does with a sleazy rock ’n’ roll riff that subsides into more straightforward punk. Guitarist and vocalist Carsten Hansen’s snarled delivery adds plenty of bite to the vocals while big singalongs and harmonies burrow their way into your head so quickly that you’re tapping your feet and singing along before the end of the first track.

A great start but it’s on the next track that things really take off. An incessant riff drives “Bombs” along as Leo Wallin pounds the skins creating the foundations to a track that has hints of the emo/goth bombast of bands like My Chemical Romance and AFI. In fact, over the course of the short EP there are nods again to both these bands as well as Green Day. Not exactly a tribute or rip-off of them but certainly an acknowledgement to their influences – and this tune is so catchy that you won’t be able to stop humming it.

“Time To Change” follows and keeps the quality levels high. The rumbling bassline courtesy of Troels Bak underpins the whole song, which is a little more up-tempo in pace and delivery, while the gang vocals and harmonies had me reminiscing early Billy Talent records.

Final track, “Walls”, appears to address depression/mental health issues and the layers of sound give it a claustrophobic feel, probably how anyone with mental health issues must feel at times. At under a minute and a half, it’s a short and sweet sign off to an excellent EP.

At four tracks and a little over ten minutes long, it’s a perfect re-introduction to the band – long enough to remind you of their quality but not too long as to overstay its welcome. In fact, I was left wanting more. I absolutely loved how instantly recognisable the Kill The Rooster sound is on this record but they have still added their own ingredients to create something very special.

Stream and download And Then What Happened Was… here: https://disconnectdisconnectrecords.bandcamp.com/album/and-then-what-happened-was

This Kill The Rooster here: https://www.facebook.com/killtherooster/

This review was written by Lee Morton.