ALBUM REVIEW: The Heat Inc. – Asleep In The Ejector Seat
(Punk Fox Records)
The Heat Inc. are a four-piece band from Hackney who proclaim themselves ‘London’s loudest rock ‘n’ roll band’.
I’m not going to argue, because this debut album fairly flies out of the speakers and simply demands to be listened to.
I first came across the band a couple of years ago when they released their self-titled debut EP (reviewed here).
Celeb fans
They’ve been making friends in high places ever since, with 6Music DJ Steve Lamacq, Mickey Bradley (The Undertones) and Paul Simonon (The Clash) among a host of celeb fans.
It’s easy to see why; the 10 tracks here show a band who are right on top of their game, and just waiting for the right A&R man to give them a leg up.
The Heat Inc. are hard to define; their sound is a mixture of indie and garage rock, with a punk edge. It has elements of early U2 and Nick Cave, but rocks harder than both of those. Much harder.
Take opening track Souvenir. It’s punctuated by a juddering bassline from Nicolas Rigot, who’s a big part of what makes the Heat Inc. sound so formidable.
He’s aided and abetted in nailing down the rhythm by powerhouse drummer Maurizio Vitale, which provides the bedrock for guitarist Marco Simoncelli to strut his stuff.
They wouldn’t be so listenable without an engaging frontman, however, and they’ve got one in Jon Dodd, whose vocals soar and swoop in all the right places.
Check out the rollocking chorus on Draw Blood For Proof, one of a handful of songs from the album which have been released as singles. Or Little Knuckle Charlie, whose swaggering riffs make it a garage rocker Jim Jones would be proud of.
The upbeat ’98, another single, is a nostalgia-soaked treat, while This Thing Called Love slows the pace and manages to sound like prime Nick Cave.
There’s a different sound again on Akasaka Murder Squad, which is replete with echo-drenched vocals, a wandering bassline, pummelling drums and driving guitar.
A line in the catchy yet epic-sounding Get Wild gives the album its name, while Ms Willie Mae sees the Heat Inc. at their punkiest, reminding me very much of The Blinders.
Things are brought to a close with the biggest surprise on the album, Ultraviolence, an acoustic ballad which shows a very different side to the rock ‘n’ roll snot, sweat and bluster which has gone before.
Asleep In The Ejector Seat is available only on a limited edition smoke vinyl LP. I’d recommend you snap one up before they’re all gone. 8.5/10.
- You can connect with The Heat Inc. via their Facebook page HERE.
