Mark Corcoran-Lettice reviews the promising debut release from Imperial Wax
Saustex Records
Released: 17.05.19
Few new releases this year will have the same weight of history burdened upon them as Imperial Wax’s debut. Featuring the core of The Fall’s latter-day line-up – Keiron Melling, Dave Spurr and Pete Greenway – alongside Sam Curran on vocals and guitar, Gastwerk Saboteurs pushes on with these Fall-en’s brand of mutant rockabilly and metallic post-punk, occasionally taking the plunge into some impressively weird avant-garage territory (see album highlight Rammy Taxi Illuminati).
However, as much as he deserves credit for taking on such a daunting role, Curran’s lyrics leave much to be desired, and the album’s baggy runtime suggests Imperial Wax could use some of MES’s old R.O.D. of steel in the editing room. Promising, but certainly not definitive.
