HEAVY METAL – Smash Criticism Smash Optimism Smash Arachnophobia LP

Heavy Metal return from their punker bunker with LP number two and it’s equally as stunning. Again it’s all over the place musically with a common thread of needle in the red whatever style they are destroying. It starts with an ecstasy drenched lo-fi distorted disco number that oozes sex appeal for the Heavy Metal massive before moving onto ‘Blue Suede Shoe’ which sounds like a classic dirty 1979 DIY hit with a masterful hook that demands repeated plays. Elsewhere ‘Dingo Ate Your Baby’ mixes the lovely lo-finess of early Flying Nun releases with a vocal that is straight from the Nikki Sudden school of drawls whilst ‘Communication or Surprise’ should have been one of the first five seminal Alternative TV singles. Heavy Metal do what they want and they don’t care whether you are listening or not – they are having too much fun. The fact they won’t play any gigs gives this band more appeal. People will discover these albums in 20 years time and love them just as much as I do now. Heavy Metal top of the class – stuff the media up your arse!! (Sean Forbes / Hard Skin // Rough Trade Records)