If Weapons don't make it big then there's something seriously wrong with the world.
Let me get a few things clear straight away. I am a metal head, pure and simple. I can't abide rap, have little time for punk and the less said about pop the better. It was with some extreme caution that I gave the new single 'Love is Thunder' by Welsh pop punk rappers 'Weapons' a spin in my fragile CD player. I know many of you have already clicked the 'back' button, I for one would be doing the same on the mention of those three words. But I've spun this single numerous times and I still can't hear any direct influences of the above genres.
I must admit that the description punk-pop comes nearest, but this music is far away from the corporate coffee table punk you see every day on the music channels. When I play 'Love is Thunder' and the second track 'I Want to Save the World,' all I can hear are some attitude-driven, superbly crafted, dark rock tunes. The press release lists 3 vocalists, Justin, Georgia G and Mo-laudi, but I can't hear them. I'm sure they're in the mix somewhere. Whatever part they play they must play it perfectly because not since Placebo have I heard such sombre aggression coupled with blatant hooks.
'Love is Thunder' is a perfect choice for a single however 'I Want to Save the World' is much the better song using a clever string style backing. Yet I still can't hear this rapping the press release keeps mentioning. The guitar sound is one of the most listenable chunks of raw distortion I've heard, and the drums are mixed to perfection giving the whole experience a live but controlled power.
I cannot lay any more accolades at the feet of Weapons without hearing the rest of the album, but on this evidence I think a quick trip to the local record store will be in order. I hate pop, rap and punk but I love this. If you can figure that out then let me know because it's left me baffled.