Album Review: Jack the Stripper - 'Raw Nerve'

If you're in the market for some furious, gut-wrenching tunes, then look no further. Jack the Stripper's new album 'Raw Nerve' is like the musical equivalent of head-butting a shark to death and then tearing it in half with your teeth. These are guaranteed to be some of the angriest songs you're likely to hear this year.

Right from the opening (and title) track, this album kicks you in the jaw and continues to pummel you for half an hour, stopping only very, very occasionally to pick some of your teeth out of its steel-capped boots before going back to work.

The vocals are monstrous, the guitar work is aggressive and nicely paired with frantic drumming, making for a solid wall of sound that's been mixed really nicely.

Despite the sheer amount of noise, everything comes through quite clearly. The style is reminiscent of bands like Converge – hardcore with clear undertones of metal mixed in for good measure. The end result is both satisfying and confronting.

If you’re familiar with previously released works, namely, ‘Grinning Death’, which features on the tail-end here, you know the tech side of things is something the band is well versed in equally.

However, the main drawback with this album is that it could easily become a bit mind numbing, with little to no breaks in aggression throughout its 33-minute entirety. A few shifts in mood and atmosphere would be great to break up the formula every once in a while, and also to create some contrast. Unfortunately you're pretty much stuck with full-blown fury and not much else.

It’s 11 tracks of solid locally produced heavy music if nothing else.

'Raw Nerve' is an extremely appropriate title for Jack the Stripper's new album. This record will tear your eardrums to shreds from beginning to end and once it's over you'll probably ask for seconds. Some variety in terms of dynamics and mood would have been a nice touch, but don't let it discourage you from listening to this cacophany of rage and testosterone.

1. Raw Nerve

2. Nibiru

3. United in Guilt

4. Track Marks

5. Black Hole Fetish

6. Long Night in Hades

7. Torrance

8. Out of Your Reach

9. Aghast

10. Nothing Changes

11. Grinning Death