I like it when a singer doesn’t disguise their accent. It seems to suggest a confidence in what you’re doing, at least to my mind. When you’re working within a certain genre it certainly creates a distinctive element when so many bands are ploughing the same furrow. With ‘Smash The Mould’ Subject Matter – they’re from Dublin, right – are not breaking any new ground. It’s mostly loud, it’s mostly fist punching the air riffage, it’s mostly fairly enjoyable hard rockin’ head bangin’ material, but it’s played with such conviction and earnest self-belief that it’s hard not to get drawn in even if this isn’t necessarily your thing.
First tune ‘Funky Coloured Pitfalls’ sets the pace for the album with its deep bass-driven groove and chanting hook. It’s hard to resist a sly head-nod along with the beat and things continue along in this vein. ‘What I Know’ has a slow instrumental passage with a good guitar line leading into a slow, steady groove before breaking back into full-on rocker. There’s a glimpse here that there’s more to the band than just wham-bam-thank you missus and it would definitely be worth exploring their experimental side further. It’s not all full tilt though; the momentum of the first few numbers is stopped in its tracks by ‘Dressed to Depress’, a bland ballad. Even the band seems bored on this one.
Things are back on track again with ‘Old Flames’ with its satisfying, fuzzed-up guitar and an uncalled-for backing vocal that is more reminiscent of Muttley than the demonic presence I assume was intended. We’re in familiar territory with this and the next handful of tracks. Squint your ears and you could be listening to Rage Against the Machine. It has to be said that the album is samey enough, but most tunes have the sped up–solo–rock out bit to spice things up, and who doesn’t like a bit of angry shouting every now and again. Make no mistake – dudes and dudettes will be standing with hands deep in pockets at the back of venues headbanging, or jostling up the front for this stuff.
The guitar work is top-notch throughout – there’s a particularly interesting guitar solo in ‘The Pass At Dark’, completely different to anything else on the album, almost country-blues in its styling – and there’s a muscular rhythm section underneath it all. I’m sure there’s a cheeky nod to ‘My Generation’ in the track too with its snappy bass solos. It is on the slower numbers like ‘See Thru Souls’ and ‘Keep Me With You’ though that the album falters, and the vocals take on a tremulous Fergal Sharkey effect which I’m going to go out on a limb and say isn’t intentional. Still though, there’s a short, fast rocker of an album to be gleaned from this collection, should you so choose, if the slower ones aren’t down your alley. And if they are then you have the best of both worlds.