Parallel Worlds In The Comet's Path
- Format
12 Inch
Clear with Purple Smoke
£16.00
‘If not by the grace of god, then an accident of birth, if not by divine intervention, then a fluke, a whim, or something worse. Right time, “right” place, “right” sex, “right” skin’.
Parallel Words are the Young Conservatives reborn, the name change heralding a recalibration in musical direction but no dilution in their political vehemency. So, what is different? Their previous straight-up hardcore punk has evolved into a more experimental direction, with fuzzed out guitars, chunky distorted basslines, and fluid percussion laying the bedrock. And what is the same? Semi-shouted vocals still drip with fury and sarcasm in equal measure as they astutely dissect issues ranging from social conflict born of precarity and the myth of Britain’s meritocracy, to the desolation of the deindustrialised cityscape. A burlier By The Grace Of God, with added dashes of Rollins Band groove, would be a pretty decent yardstick. Thoughtful, impassioned hardcore and a very fine record indeed.
Parallel Worlds may be a new band but their lineage can be traced back to the 90s, serving time in storied hardcore bands such as Voorhees, Imbalance, The Horror and, more recently, Young Conservatives. It was when Young Conservatives started writing material that didn’t quite fit the mould of their previous releases that Parallel Worlds was born.
“In The Comet’s Path” takes the classic hardcore blueprint of Black Flag, Bl’ast and Dag Nasty but also adds touches of Krautrock, post-punk and metal to the recipe. From the motorik beat of album opener Down The Cut Blues with it’s Neu-esque driving bassline and swirling guitar riff to closing track End Song, that starts as a slow building sermon in the vein of Gang Of Four and Fugazi and culminates in vocalist Andy delivering throat ripping screams over the top of a pulverisingly heavy backing track, the album’s vision and ambition is clear to see. The album is still packed with hardcore rippers such as Doggerland and In Another Life but there are also homages to 80s cowpunk with The Citadel and the chugging, all out metal attack of Escape from Doncatraz.
As a statement of intent In The Comet’s Path could not be clearer – this is not easy listening, this is challenging, thought provoking and will leave an indelible mark once listened to.
—Scene Report