Album Review: Release The Hounds - 'This Town'

28 July 2013 | 9:42 pm | Staff Writer
Originally Appeared In

An unlikely local DIY punk act that leave an unforgettable impact.

Release The Hounds, a badass trio of misfits hailing from Brisbane, were already showing enormous promise when they released Clive, a short and dirty track that seemed to make people sit up and pay attention, both within and outside of the band’s hometown. With this in mind, nothing short of top notch punk was expected from their first official release, This Town.

True to form, the leading track, '6 To Midnight' delivers precisely the belligerent assault to your ears that listeners of the genre beg for. Equally as belligerent are the tracks’ lyrics, which basically amounts to one big ‘fuck you,’ communicated in the gritty, hostile arrogance of the vocalist, screaming bizarre phrases like, "the vampires will all become rats."

Tracks such as, ‘21’ and ‘Knife Crime' exude an infectious rhythm, illustrated through repetitious drumming and thick, distorted guitar riffs that never seem to let up. Not only do these tracks give the band a certain musical credibility, but they also trigger visions of thrilling and exhausting live shows.

The bold attitude and unflinching aggression in ‘Stroller’ and ‘Bullets, My Only Weakness (‘They don’t wanna fuck, they just wanna fight’) set Release The Hounds a notch above those bands that are the droopy eyed pessimist to this trio's defiantly assured, slightly backward optimist.

What's more, you can pick it up on their bandcamp for next to nothing. 

It may be a frenzied and chaotic ride the whole way through, but somehow Release The Hounds manage to achieve an accessible brand of ‘party’ punk fueled by an inspired DIY ethic. Give them a chance, you won’t be disappointed.

1.6 to Midnight 

2. 23 

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3. Stroller 

4. Bullets, My Only Weakness 

5. Knife Crime