- Genre: 'Rock'
- Release Date: '22nd November 2019'
Our Rating:
It probably goes without saying I’d been dying for a dose of progressive punk metal as an antidote to Christmas music, so the arrival of Quella’s new EP. Ok, so that’s something of an exaggeration, but sometimes you don’t know what you need until you find it, right?
Pitched as being for fans of QOTSA, Wire, Therapy? and Nirvana, this London/Brighton four-piece bring some serious drive, and it’s propelled by some hell-for-leather drumming. All too often, when I read that a rock band are strong on melody, I assume they’re going to be sappy and poppy. But no, Quella invite comparisons to ‘Troublegum’ era-Therapy?, with lead track ‘Crown of Flies’ packing a chunky riff reminiscent of ‘Screamager’ before veering into a slower, more reflective mood-space around the mid-point.
The songs are stylistically varied, and they get political on ‘Smalltown Eiderdown’ over a tense guitar-driven backing that goes oddly groovy, near the end, yet the EP retains a cohesion by virtue of its focus on ballsy blues-based riffs. Repeat listens yield further reward, making ‘Donor Fatigue’ a gift that keeps on giving.
