It feels as if the British-rock scene is about to face another great year. With You Me At Six‘s chart-topping return and many other releases just around the corner, Frank Carter & the Rattlesnakes‘ brand new record is the cherry on top.
Modern Ruin is the follow up to Blossom, the formation’s debut from 2015, and sees artistically fluid Frank Carter return to calmer waters once again- although not as calm as the intro of “Bluebell” first suggests. I’m pretty confident many were caught off guard with the beautiful yet sad ode of an opener but it sure is one of my favourite moments of the 12-track effort. I love the way Carter puts his idea of losing a beloved one (his dog in this case, who’s also the star of the album cover) into words. We tend to live in an illusion that those we love will be there forever, then suddenly you realize they won’t be because of the inevitable. Been there, done that.
In between the darkness, “Vampires” and “Wild Flowers” offer a glimpse of that catchiness I fell in love with during Carter’s Pure Love-era. I cannot help but think of my favourite indie-movie Only Lovers Left Alive when listening to the first one, while other is a heavy love song with a Billy Idol-like twist in sound.
The term “modern ruin” is a reoccurring concept during the record: it’s the base of the chorus on “Acid Veins.” The title track itself is bursting with hardcore energy and anxious guitar riffs, making it the pinnacle and most complex part of Modern Ruin as a whole before “Neon Rust” outros the theme in remarkable romantic melancholy.
Much like 10 year old Arizona emo band The Maine, Frank Carter is also one of those legends of any music scene with guitars involved where the artist is not getting enough commercial success and recognition yet he still keeps going and creates something wholehearted that is worth more than sold out arenas in the end.
