Goldblade: The Terror Of Modern Life

Punk’s not dead – it’s living in Manchester.

By Emma Johnston
( Classic Rock )
published

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Few remain to fight the punk rock fight in as dedicated a fashion as Goldblade’s John Robb. Finding the band (political) partying like it’s 1979, Goldblade’s sixth album is musically about as groundbreaking as a marshmallow shovel, but that’s not really the point.

The Terror Of Modern Life displays its influences like a badge of honour – full-pelt Dead Kennedys social sarcasm in Psycho Takes A Holiday, ramshackle Clash energy in Sick/Tired, a dash of Sex Pistols sneer in the Big Society-baiting We’re All In This Together, and a pinch of Misfits monstrousness in Someone Stole My Brain.

But as equipment hums, bass rumbles and Robb bellows over joyfully insistent melodies, it becomes clear that The Terror Of Modern Life is the sound of a band hopelessly in love with the music that made them, and what could be more fun than that?

Emma Johnston

Emma has been writing about music for 25 years, and is a regular contributor to Classic Rock, Metal Hammer, Prog and Louder. During that time her words have also appeared in publications including Kerrang!, Melody Maker, Select, The Blues Magazine and many more. She is also a professional pedant and grammar nerd and has worked as a copy editor on everything from film titles through to high-end property magazines. In her spare time, when not at gigs, you’ll find her at her local stables hanging out with a bunch of extremely characterful horses.