The Amazing Snakeheads
The Amazing Snakeheads are a Scottish rock band from Glasgow. The band consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Dale Barclay, bass guitarist William Coombe and Drummer Jordan Hutchinson.
The Amazing Snakeheads never really formed as such - their conception seemingly more preordained than planned. Dale and William had been friends since childhood; Jordan was Dale’s neighbor who became a close friend. While they each played music, they never really harbored ambitions to play in bands – the prospect of aiming high and missing was almost enough to put the trio off even trying. When the band finally got together and started playing shows, their shows quickly gained an infamous reputation.
There recent release of their début album ''Amphetamine Ballads'' has received huge critical acclaim and has landed them straight in the lime light.
Whilst listening to this album I often found that the singer Dale Barclay often sounds angry and hoarse. This didn't deter me from the album if anything his hoarseness and course rough vocals is what attracted me to this band.
This band reminds me of Eagulls, The Wytches and Beastmilk in my opinion they have successfully managed to slice together different genres such as goth, rockabilly, blues and garage.The trio refuse to discuss their musical influences in interviews, but in fairness, they don't really need to. They exist in an occult lineage of dark guitar bands from Glasgow, most of whom made no real impact outside of Scotland. The incredible power of their live shows, it's pretty obvious that front man Dale Barclay's on-stage persona is a slightly knowing one that plays on the archetype of the sociopathic Scottish hard man.
The album "Amphetamine Ballads" is comprised of ten cleverly written songs which all have a deeper meaning then what initially lets on, the album consists of:
- I'm a vampire
- Nightmare
- Samp song
- Here it comes again
- Flatling
- Where is my knife
- Every guy wants to be her baby
- Memories
- Heading for heartbreak
- Tiger by the tail
(All three members of the band-from left to right- bassist,william coombe- centre, guitarist and vocalist, Dale Barclay, Drummer, Jordan Hutchinson)
Album Review
Im A Vampire - This is the first song on the albm and its standout lyric, “She’s more beautiful than any woman I’ve met, And she fuckin’ knows it,” reminds me greatly of "The Streets" "Fit But You Know It".The first sounds you hear on in this opening song are the crash of a gong, a distorted flailing guitar, a thudding bass riff, followed by a thickly Glaswegian-accented voice screaming about how an unreturned love makes the him feel like the undead. This song is a statement of intent which is far more than a detailed study of the vampiric lifestyle which was what my initial thought on what the opening song was.
Swamp Song - is dry as a bone the piercing, screeching guitar tone and lurching bass are likely to make you get goose bumps; the sheer noise created by the Snakeheads is none more impressive than on this number. The drums, bass and guitar are wandering and completely locked-in simultaneously.
Here It Comes Again - has a taut, motoric pulse at its heart.The band itself must be rather confident about its abilities to strip a song down as dramatically as they do on "Here It Comes Again", which is basically nothing more than the title, screamed over and over again for three and a half minutes. Their confidence isn't misplaced. It's not the easiest listen in the world, but it's not supposed to be.
Flatlining - is full of noisy interludes are messy and overcrowded, and the strange inclusion of harmonica suggests that the band are still exploring.
Where Is My Knife? - simmers with implied menace, an ominous drumbeat keeping things taut
Memories - main killer hook “Take it by both hands/And shake it if it needs it” will hang around in your brain for ages. The Steve Mackay-aping solo and Tracy Pew-inspired bass paint a bloody picture. Barclay’s howling is astounding
Tiger By The Tail - This album closer is a lush, rich acoustic dirge
It’s difficult not to expect something dark when going into this album; song titles like “Flatlining”, “Nighttime”, “I’m a Vampire”, and “Swamp Song” hint at that murky, underground, dark macabre. On some of the tracks it’s permanently midnight. It’s Irvine Welsh unleashed on a microphone. The intensity lurks across all 10 tracks, and it makes songs like “Every Guy Wants to Be Her Baby” and “Flatlining” feel like they could soundtrack a noir film.
Listening to Amphetamine Ballads, you get the feeling that the Amazing Snakeheads know they've struck on something powerful. Their confidence isn't misplaced. It's not the easiest listen in the world, but it's not supposed to be: at a time when most of what passes for alternative rock sounds desiccated, Amphetamine Ballads feels raw and potent and alive.
