{"id":7911,"date":"2022-08-06T18:28:00","date_gmt":"2022-08-06T17:28:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ipamusic.co.uk\/?p=7911"},"modified":"2022-09-03T18:29:26","modified_gmt":"2022-09-03T17:29:26","slug":"janus-stark-release-an-album-of-the-year-contender-with-face-your-biggest-fear","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ipamusic.co.uk\/?p=7911","title":{"rendered":"Janus Stark release an album of the year contender with Face Your Biggest Fear"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

ALBUM REVIEW: Janus Stark – Face Your Biggest Fear <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

(Time And Matter Records)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Janus Stark<\/strong> are the brainchild of guitar virtuoso Gizz Butt, who has played in loads of bands, most famously The Prodigy in their peak 1990s Fat Of The Land<\/em> era.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He’s also been in punk\/metal bands such as English Dogs, The Destructors, Sundance, The More I See and Pyogenesis, but Janus Stark is very much his band.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Formed in the late 90s, their debut album Great Adventure Cigar<\/em> was released in 1998, but they’re not exactly prolific; it took until 2019 for them to release the follow-up proper, Angel In The Flames<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Janus Stark seem to have found a home on Time & Matter Records, which also released a reimagined version of their debut album and a ‘lost’ album of 2002 studio demos a couple of years ago.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"janus<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Revisiting his past must have unearthed a rich seam of inspiration for Peterborough rocker Gizz, for here we are again just three years later with album number three – and what a record!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Written during the pandemic, Face Your Biggest Fear<\/em> isn’t out and out punk, rather 11 slices of powerful melodic rock, and some of his guitar work is absolutely stunning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vocally, Gizz reminds me a little of Johnny Marr, and he’s assembled a great band consisting of David Pistolas (rhythm guitar), Si Martin (bass) and Fozzy (drums).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Janus Stark playing at Rebellion Punk Festival in Blackpool in August 2022. Pic: Gary Welford.<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

They’re firing on all cylinders from the get-go, and the pace never lets up. It bursts into action with the excellent Father Time<\/em>, about making the most of time with your loved ones, which is quickly followed by the pandemic-inspired Rollin’ With The Punches<\/em>, which is just as packed with hard-hitting riffs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I Don’t Want Your Sympathy<\/em> sees him go full-on heavy metal with some superb soloing, while the ghetto tale Eddie N Larkin<\/em> has lots of melody and more great squalling guitar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Side one closer Clusterfuck <\/em>is the punkiest song here and a live favourite already, while Reassuring<\/em>, which opens side two, is another real earworm – and a contender for best song on the album – and there’s a few.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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