Rat Cage: In the Shadow of the Bomb 7″

Description

At last, In the Shadow of the Bomb, the pummelling new single from Rat Cage is back in print after a limited lathe run on Lughole Records last year. The A side is a Burning Spirits style ripper, inspired by a trip Hiroshima and witnessing the devastating long lasting effects that nuclear war has on a city and country. In the Shadow sonically nods to classic Japanese hardcore, but still maintains the typical Rat Cage blend of Scandi/UK punk. On the flip side, Scared Of The Truth, is a political mid pace stomper that rumbles with power in a State Violence, State Control fashion, while somehow also sounding like Out Cold at their most rocking. A glimpse through the cracks as to whats coming next from Rat Cage in 2023.

Our take: These two tracks from Sheffield, Englands Rat Cage originally appeared on a limited lathe cut record whose sale benefitted the bands hometown punk-run club, the Lughole, but Im glad La Vida Es Un Mus did a larger pressing because these tracks are straight FIRE. While Rat Cage works with a lot of the same influences as other contemporary hardcore bands, their songwriting and execution are just on another level. In the Shadow of the Bomb is a case in point. The songs massive and memorable main riff and shout-along chorus would have, on their own, outclassed 90% of hardcore bands, but the song has this part in the middle with a subtle key change that takes it to a whole different level. Its like a middle eight in a classic pop song what other hardcore bands have songs with middle eights? Rat Cage changes things up a little on the second track, Scared of the Truth, though that song is built around a riff at least as memorable as In the Shadow of the Bomb, sounding like Diamond Head doing their own take on State Violence, State Control. This song also has a great middle section that employs some Adolescents-esque melodies in the upper octaves. Few hardcore bands can pull off the two-song single, but Ill take two great tracks like this over eight shitty ones any day of the week.