Scalphunter - Lies album review

Riotous Aussie rockers break open the bourbon

Cover art for Scalphunter - Lies album

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As much as lazy national stereotypes should be resisted, Perth’s Scalphunter aren’t doing much to distance themselves from typical lairy Aussie clichés with their bullshit-free, chaoti-cas-fuck approach to rock music. While it might elicit a frown from the Australian tourist board, Lies is great news for your ears if you love your music unrefined, whiskey-soaked and of the shit-kicking variety. Taking cues from The Stooges via Motörhead, Zeke, The Bronx and Wilson, this is an album that totally bypasses originality – which Scalphunter will undoubtedly be delighted to know – in favour of heart, guts and sweat. A riot from start to finish, songs like the breakneck throat-ripper Best Of Me will almost certainly inspire even the most passive listener to end up naked from the waist up, brandishing nothing but a broken beer bottle and a smile. Ripper.

Stephen joined the Louder team as a co-host of the Metal Hammer Podcast in late 2021, eventually becoming a regular contributor to the magazine. He has since written hundreds of articles for Metal Hammer, Classic Rock and Louder, specialising in punk, hardcore and 90s metal. He also presents the Trve. Cvlt. Pop! podcast with Gaz Jones and makes regular appearances on the Bangers And Most podcast.