The year 2020 will forever be remembered as the time that everything changed and the world as we once knew it changed forever. Former Kyshera main man James Kennedy must have had a touch of the mystic Meg about him when writing and recording this prophetic sonic masterpiece earlier this year. In a world obsessed by Brexit and Trump it seemed that this era couldn't get any more surreal, how wrong we were, enter a virus ‘Made In China’ to completely change everyone's lives.
The cover emblazoned with Russian style revolutionary Politik imagery and calligraphy sets up the listener for the revolutionary call to arms that is contained herein. Even the albums title is a jibe at Trump’s rabble rousing slogan of Make America Great Again (I for one will not be able to see a MAGA baseball hat on a redneck without thinking of James and this aural Tour de Force)
Lydon once enamoured us with the notion ‘Anger is an Energy’ and James picks up the gauntlet on opener The Power. I had always thought of Kyshera as being like an angry Muse, well James solo is like an even angrier Kyshera and this track gives us a taste of things to come with its accompanying video initially banned by youtube only adding to the revolutionary nature of the album.
The angst comes thick and Fast on nearly all the tracks and they all have positively filthy guitar riffs and shouty up and at 'em chorus’. Solace In Sickness is almost a ballad by comparison but the anger is still there and it is probably my favourite track on the collection closely followed by Autopsy.
Kick out the jams kids and get yourselves some short sharp revolutionary kicks, i heartily recommend James’ accompanying book Noise Damage also just released for the background behind the making of this Rock n Roll Underdog from the South Wales Valleys.
CHRIS PHILLIPS
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