God Damn - Everything Ever

Rating:

‘Everything Ever’ is an anthemic ode to the unhinged, and a rallying cry against composure.

When God Damn released their ‘Heavy Money’ EP in 2013, the world was introduced to a band capable of setting the world on fire. Three years on and a lot has certainly changed, but the Wolverhampton outfit’s ability to pack an explosive punch remains their crowning glory. More polished than their early releases, their second full-length album is the sound of a band perfected. Building on from debut album ‘Vultures’, ‘Everything Ever’ takes catchy pop structures and drags them through a thorn bush kicking and screaming.

Last year’s single ‘Dead To Me’ and its accompanying video (think if Swiss Army Man were set in the West Midlands) set a savage template for what now follows. Spitting out bitter ferocity at an unfailing pace, the duo’s relentless nature can be a struggle to keep up with. Even on the slower numbers, their ravenous spirit is as resolute as ever. Take ‘I’ll Bury You’: as close to a ballad as the group get (echoing piano breakdown included), the track’s sweeping refrains and snarled words whip up a whirlwind of intensity and tidal waves of emotion as if it were all they were born for.

Which in a way, rings true. God Damn have always been purveyors of chaos. From the swirling energy in the pits at the front of their gigs to the swaggering attitude of ‘Violence’ and the frenzied dexterity of ‘Let’s Speak’ on record, the Wolverhampton two-piece condense the feral streak in all of us into three minute bursts. Rough around the edges with a roguish charm, ‘Everything Ever’ is an anthemic ode to the unhinged, and a rallying cry against composure. Jessica Goodman