Bronx

Quite conscious of the potential for sophomore jinx, raucous punks the Bronx have been quite meticulous with preparation for their second effort. The attention to detail has paid off in full, relegating the hex to mere superstition if the masses are as intelligent as they profess to be. While the band have forsaken some of the brashness and under-produced appeal of their debut in favour of slick recording quality and an overall crispness, it has only been a positive step forward. Tracks such as "Small Stone” and "History’s Stranglers” lose the call-and-response, cheese-filled catchy hooks that infiltrate the first disc without sacrificing the confrontational gusto that the band have become renowned for. Still loud, still abrasive and inching towards maturity and tighter songwriting, there’s an air of furious Bionic and/or Neurosis (albeit with far more ear candy) that only seems to intensify the overall stun of this hardcore/stoner/rock’n’roll molestation. Good to a naysayer, great to a believer, The Bronx (II) only serves to prove that even hype can actually spot-on at times.