Tuesday 3 February 2015

Memest - Bastards and Liars (Album Review)



Album Type: Full-Length
Date Released: 1/10/2014
Label: Discos Macarras

‘Bastards and Liars’ CD//DD track listing:

1). Bastards and Liars
2). Hills and Abysses
3). Black Wings
4). We Love Rats
5). My Friends
6). One God
7). Poor People
8). The Man Who Never Cries

Memest is:

Anselm Horta | Bass, b-vocals
Dani Audi | Drums
Jaume Estupinya | Guitars, b-vocals
Carlos Matheu | Guitars, vocals

Review:

Memest love rock n’ roll, it satisfies their soul, and that’s the way it’s gotta be, so don’t get mad. This review can pretty much start and end here but I’ll continue for those who don’t get the reference. Memest is a band that hearkens back to the rougher days of the 80's, when Motorhead was on all the time and each band was trying to be louder than the next. So yeah, Memest may sound a little dated and won’t be telling you anything you don’t already know, but that’s not going to stop them.

“Bastards and Liars,” can be split up into two types of songs; slow ones and fast ones. This brand of 80’s punk-metal was never so difficult, so there’s no sense in turning it into rocket science now. The slower cuts, as you’d probably expect, are driven by sludgy guitars and sparse drumming. Matheu belts his way through the choruses, his delivery bringing with it a sense of drama, drawing influence from the likes of Ben Ward. The real attention grabbers are in the form of the punk-metal ass-kickers. On songs like the title track and “The Man Who Never Cries,” Memest are shamelessly getting high on Motorhead and are having a great time doing it. Besides, what’s not to like about that kick-snare-hi-hat pogo while the band shouts that “poor people get drunk” or, though I’m pretty sure it’s not what he’s really singing, “I’ll shit on your O-face” in “We Love Rats.”

“Bastards and Liars” may not be an album that will make year end lists but I’m pretty sure that’s not what the band is going for. Instead, the album is a collection of solid songs written by a bunch of beer guzzlers without any pretense. The faster songs make for good shots of adrenaline and the slower songs that stand across from them aren't bad, either. Memest are able to effortlessly bring the rock and that’s because they love it, it satisfies their soul, that’s the way it’s gotta be, so don’t get mad. 

Words by: Victor Van Ommen

You can pick up a copy here

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