ALBUM REVIEW: Slalom D – I Choose My Own Way To Burn (Serial Bowl Records)
Sunderland’s loud and proud political punks Slalom D are back with their third album, three years after the previous one, and once again they show an evolution in their sound.
They’ve had a couple of line-up changes since Waltz Into Anarchy (reviewed here) was released, with Antony Bircham taking over on guitar and Lisa Lindstedt coming in on keyboards.
Both have played a part in helping subtly change the sound of the D, who now sound bigger than ever, complementing the founding rhythm section of Tony Lindstedt (bass) and Iain Murray (drums), and vocalist Fiona Duncan.
Many of the songs from I Choose My Own Way To Burn will be familiar to anyone who’s seen Slalom D over the last couple of years, as they’ve road tested them live and honed them before laying them down and entrusting them to producer Phil Jackson.
He’s recorded all three of their albums at The Bunker in Sunderland, and once he’s again he’s made a superb job of capturing and bringing real clarity to their often cacophonous live sound.
Opener Fascist Epidemic encapsulates Slalom D’s whole anti-racist, anti-fascist stance. They wear their left-wing working class beliefs proudly on their sleeves and the keys add a real dystopian feel to this warning about the rise of the right.
Varla, full of urgent guitar, is a response to the classic template of tough, dominant anti-heroines in pop culture, warning that while she might be the woman of your dreams, she’s not all that she seems. It ups the tempo and features a great call and response chorus between Fi and Tony.
Medusa, released as a 7in single back in July 2024, is about women fighting back against toxic male culture, using the Greek mythological character who turned to stone anyone who looked her in the eye. Modernised to reference the Me Too movement, it’s an absolute banger, featuring one of Fi’s very best vocal performances.
Slalom D are proud to come from Sunderland, the former shipbuilding town now known as a music city, and they pay homage to it on another single, Harbour Walls. It’s an unashamed love letter, blending nostalgia with an attitude of resilience, and it will speak to anyone who finds refuge in coming home.
There’s real Mackem pride here as Fi sings: “This is my home, from the sea to the city, from the city to Monument Hill/This is our home, and it’s not always pretty, but it’s a harbour in the storm.” I’m not from Sunderland, but I’ve spent a lot of time there, and this ought to be the city’s theme song.
Same Refrain, released as the third single from the album in May 2026, is perhaps the most personal song Fi has ever written. It’s a reflection on her father’s dementia, capturing the sadness, frustration, and emotional pain that come with watching a loved one fade through memory loss.
White Rose, inspired by Sophie Scholl and the brave young students who led peaceful underground resistance against Hitler’s Nazi regime during World War Two, is part tribute, part history lesson. With its prominent bassline and broad wash of keys, it’s a timely reminder that when the right rises, there will always be those who oppose them.
The song inspired the album’s artwork as well as giving it it’s title, and there’s real defiance as Fi sings: “We will not be silenced, we will not be still, we are your conscience, White Rose is always there.”
Listening to a Slalom D record can be a bit like a history lesson, and that’s the case again here with Bloody Mary, which isn’t about the tomato juice and vodka cocktail, but the Tudor queen who burned Protestants alive in Smithfield for their religious beliefs.
History lesson over (for now), we arrive at Cosmic Light, aimed at people of a certain age who rant about wokeness and the fact there are gay people everywhere, when they grew up in the ’70s, an era awash with not-so-subtle sexual messaging that they didn’t seem to pick up on at the time. The message is simple: these people didn’t come from outer space, and everyone should be able to be themselves.
Eagle High Malevolence‘s first verse reminds of Stiff Little Fingers’ Wasted Life, and unless I’m mistaken it seems to be another warning about the rise of the right (though I may be mistaken).
We’re entering the home straight now, and we get to Merci Madame, a powerful anthem about Gisèle Pelicot, the French woman who became a feminist icon in 2024 when she waived her right to anonymity as the victim in a multiple rape case.
It’s absolutely magnificent, possibly the standout track on the album, as it celebrates the bravery and empowerment of a woman who held her head high and refused to be shamed by the actions of her husband and others. Or, as Fi puts it: “Merci madame, you held yourself with pride, shame has changed its side.”
There’s some weighty subjects here, but penultimate song The Van isn’t one of them. Instead, it’s a rather self-deprecating look at life in a band, where getting everyone in the same place as the same time can be like herding cats.
Finally we get to Jerusalem, a remake of one of Slalom D’s oldest songs. It was originally recorded as a punky thrash when the band started out in 2018 with original vocalist Craig MacBeth, and remains one of their most popular songs live.
Here, Fi stamps her mark all over it, with added keys from Lisa (it was written before the band had a keyboardist). It rages even harder and takes the song to another level.
Slalom D are one of those bands who will never be content to stand still. While mindful and respectful of what’s gone before, they’re constantly evolving, always growing, and have never sounded better. 9/10
- I Choose My Own Way To Burn is released on September 11 on vinyl, CD and download from Serial Bowl Records HERE.
It will also be available on physical formats from Slalom D at the following gigs:
Sunday 6 September – supporting TV Smith @ The Globe, Newcastle.
Friday 11 September – album launch with Fast Blood + Moss Music @ Diego’s Joint, Sunderland.
Saturday 12 September – The Big Punk Social @ Anarchy Brewery, Newcastle.
Saturday 19 September – Beyond The Gap @ Mean City Fest, Glasgow.
Friday 2 October – with Claudia @ Pop Recs Ltd, Sunderland.
