Over the last year there has been an influx of new guitar bands, some good, some bad, and some very average indeed. Ireland’s Humanzi is one of the better and rockier ones who have already won acclaim and many fans back home. On the strength of this record the guys should make a few friends here as well…

The band’s musical roots are firmly in the traditional rock era, and if one needs convincing then the opening salvo, Diet Pills And Magazines, should do the trick. The distinctive guitar riff and rock solid drum rhythm that dominate this track beg to be played at full volume, while the venomous vocal nails it. This explosive opener is then followed by another incendiary track in 6 Gun, a song underpinned by a distinct punk vibe. It’s a jagged, unhinged track with a vocal and guitar riffs that provide that rock edge needed in a rather overcrowded and homogenous market. Out On The Wire races along at the speed of a speeding bullet with its lethal head full of melody. I Want Silence has a highly original Hammond intro before another salvo of guitar and vocal hit the target big time. Add some rather special vocal harmonies along with another super strong melody and you have another rocky winner. I Want Silence was the band’s first single here in the UK and deserved to fly up the charts but I guess was a bit too rocky for the likes of BBC Radio 1 execs… hell, what the fuck do they know anyway.

This is an excellent album of mixed pace and mood, and with not a dud track in sight. It’s also a distinctive, commercial heavy rock album and one of the best released in 2006.

4/5