Scarlet 2013
Three decades on since their inception, glimmering Welsh lads still cut it fine.
Remembered lovingly for “Bezerk,” their 1990 chart buster, this Cardiff bunch failed to sustain the momentum and didn’t see the Millenium glory, but their glam has been on again since 2005, and now the quartet patch the gap between 2007’s “Thrill Pistol” and a new bang with a 5-track EP. It shoots right where it’s at, under the guidance of original guitarist Jay Pepper, making “Punched In The Gutz” a pulsing punchline to both their past and the fans’ feeling, while opener “Shoe Collector” sock it nicely to the glitterati schlock with an a cappella start and an arena swing.
New singer Jules Millis rules the catchy choruses for the heavy “Bite The Hand” to rock the cradle hard, even though “One Life” is as generic as it gets despite an exquisite acoustic strum behind the electric bars. Yet “Spit It Out” bends metal to show its sheen in the best light – sharp and dangerous. Get armed, then, and have fun.
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