The Godfathers: Electrical Déjà Vu
(Godfathers Recordings)
CD | DL
Out eleventh April 2025
PRE-ORDER HERE
The Godfathers launch into celebrations of the fortieth anniversary since their formation with a compilation of tracks taken from their most up-to-date three studio albums. It’s a group of songs which proves past any doubt that the band have misplaced none of their incendiary energy and belligerent menace that graced our ears and rattled our audio system after they first emerged on the rock’n’roll scene again within the mid-80s.
The longevity of any band will inevitably be judged by each their capacity to proceed writing songs which enhance the legacy that they’ve constructed and in addition by their stay performances such that they don’t in any method denigrate that legacy. Inside this context, and amidst the explosion of recent expertise that’s rising from inside the present unbiased music scene, it’s nice to see and listen to that plenty of bands are nonetheless flying the flag for the publish punk period of the 80s that helped to form a lot of what adopted. A type of bands is The Godfathers who proceed to carry out with their legendary incendiary rock’n’roll drive as they now rejoice their fortieth Anniversary since their formation. And rejoice is most positively the phrase as they’ve plans to make 2025 yet one more memorable yr.
After I first skilled the rock’n’roll mayhem of The Sid Presley Expertise on the Sheffield Leadmill again in February 1985, I may hardly have anticipated that, having morphed nearly seamlessly into The Godfathers following Sid Presley’s subsequent premature demise, some 40 years later this band would nonetheless have an immense presence within the rock’n’roll scene as they proceed to ship their electrifying model of primal rock’n’roll in all elements of the globe. While their 1988 album Start, Faculty, Work, Demise nonetheless stands as a rock’n’roll benchmark for a lot that adopted of their wake, beneath the management of founder and frontman Peter Coyne, The Godfathers are a band who’ve continued to launch some actually sturdy materials regardless of quite a few modifications in band membership and a protracted hiatus within the 2000s.
The Godfathers now rejoice the milestone of their fortieth yr since formation with plans for a number of document releases in addition to excursions and festivals throughout the UK, Europe and all over the world. Having efficiently accomplished a brief run of UK reveals round their conventional St Valentine’s Day Bloodbath gig at London’s Storage, the primary of those releases is Electrical Déjà Vu, an 18-track compilation that includes songs personally chosen by Peter from the band’s three most up-to-date studio albums – 2013’s Jukebox Fury which was launched 18 years after their earlier studio album, 2017’s A Huge Dangerous Stunning Noise and 2022’s Alpha Beta Gamma Delta.
Again Into The Future opens the album in basic style with its anger riddled gritty vocals, onerous driving rhythm, raging guitars and anthemic refrain strains. Exploring the continued domination of atypical lives by giant organisations, that is precisely the type of sheer rock’n’roll energy that the band have continued to reward to the world since their inception and units the tone completely for all that’s to comply with. OCD ups the ante even additional just like the fallout from a collision between the Useless Boys and The Ramones because it scorches the bottom proper in entrance of you, while the extra melodic and concord pushed power-pop vibes of You Don’t Love Me actually showcase the flexibility that this band has at all times had.
The Outsider is an nearly unnerving reminder of the outdated Sid Presley days recorded at a time when unique guitarist Del Bartle was again within the band delivering titanic chugging riffs as Peter steps into the world of the non-conformist via malevolent eyes. As ever, sinister by identify and sinister by nature. In sharp distinction Carry On The Sunshine has a extra business edge with a much more uplifting vibe as Peter sings “I’m at all times blissful when the solar shines” with Seaside Boys fashion harmonies signposting a extra optimistic outlook for the long run.
Until My Coronary heart Stops Beating turns up the warmth as soon as extra with a driving depth which is channelled via a pulsating Pleasure Division fashion rhythm melding seamlessly with an Iggy fashion drawl, while I Can’t Sleep Tonight is nothing wanting a stressed Ramones fashion romp. However don’t get fooled by the twisted psychedelic meanderings which open You Gotta Wait which quickly explodes right into a punchy and raucous rock’n’roll cavalcade of desperation because it delves into the mundanity and frustrations of the typical working week. “The weekend is 1,000,000 miles away and I simply wanna punch that man within the mouth” actually says all of it.
Take what you need from Miss America however this problem to the beliefs which had been (as soon as) the muse of “the land of the free” sounds extra related to the modern-day world than ever earlier than. And this state of the nation handle segues seamlessly into an appropriately titled Theme To The Finish Of The World with its considerably surreal and transfixing spaghetti western really feel, and the heavy staccato rhythms of I Hate The twenty first Century which takes a considerably down overwhelmed view on the fashionable world and our over reliance on expertise…..yeah, no doubting that “the shit’s bought actual.”
A Huge Dangerous Stunning Noise is a fierce, ferocious and relentless explosion of noise wherein Darren Birch’s tortured bass strains underpin a merely majestic rhythm as Peter extols the fantastic thing about metropolis life with guitars raging and sirens wailing. Epic stuff! Primitive Man then leads us right into a world of foot-stomping primitive rock dominated by weaving powerhouse guitar strains and a largely spoken phrase narrative because it observes how little we as a world appeared to have moved ahead regardless of all of the technological advances that encompass us. Midnight Rider has a imply and moody Johnny Money come Iggy fashion vibe because it plunders the world of solitude.
Poor Boy’s Son is a basic slice of swamp rock imbued with some 60’s fashion swing because it as soon as once more tackles the plight of the working man. Tonight is dominated by melodious guitars and an infectious power while She’s Mine slows it proper again down with an actual sense of sentimentality overlaid with vivid and illuminating guitars. After which, as if with breathless delight after such a wild outpouring of energy and conviction, this wonderful assortment closes with the onerous edged I’m Not Your Slave which serves as an arms aloft sort celebration of freedom.
Because the world continues to crumble into an abyss of political instability and unending battle, it’s nice to know that there are nonetheless bands like The Godfathers flying the flag for rock’n’roll and bringing individuals collectively from all walks of life and backgrounds to rejoice their incendiary stay reveals. Electrical Déjà Vu is an album that showcases The Godfathers as a band who’re nonetheless on the high of their sport of their fortieth yr and we are able to solely stay up for what the subsequent chapter has in retailer.
The present line-up of the band options Peter Coyne on vocals, Jon Priestley on bass, Billy Duncanson on drums, Richie Simpson on guitar and Paul Humphreys on guitar. As regards the fast future, a model new studio single will comply with in the summertime with an archive double stay album promised for later within the yr. These releases pave the best way for an album of recent materials in 2026 and I can not await that, so watch this area.
You may pre-order the album right here.
You will discover The Godfathers on Fb, Instagram, Bandcamp and their web site.
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All phrases by Ian Corbridge. You will discover extra of his writing at his writer profile right here.
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