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Reviews
Rocksounds
4/5
Originally called The Buggers, one swift,
if not slightly odd name change later and The Killerest Expression are here to
shake the world. Fast and tuneful punk tinged rock is what they have to offer
on the 8 track release, an offer not to be refused. Snarly vocals and powerful
chugging guitars added to the pace of Linford Christie in his day, a sprinkling
of Bad Religion and you can't go wrong. Check them out for furious fun with a
kick - this is good stuff.
Emily
Kearns
Kerrang
KKKK
(Explosive Punk From The West Midlands)
Following
the likes of Douglas and Vanilla Pod into the 'Britpunks-who'd-be-huge-if-they-were-American'
catagory comes The Killerest Expression. The youthful quartet's gritty ramalama
- think Snuff meets Bad Religion - saw them bag a 'Single Of The Week' award in
these very pages last year (with 'Here Comes The Times' under their former monicker
The Buggers), and now this debut mimi album delivers on all that early promise.
Opener 'Memory Loss' positively crackles with melodic malevolence, and by the
time 'Everyday' fades out in a howl of bile and feedback you'll be picking your
jaw up off the carpet and reaching for 'Play' again. 'Four Days...' might not
actaully shake your world, but your speakers arecertainly in for one hell of a
pounding.
MARK GRIFFITHS Maximum
Rock N Roll (USA)
Melodic pop punk from the UK here with emo overtones
pn the guitar front. The tight playing and riffing fuel this with a Snuff quality.
Although I could use a little more songing over screaming with the vocals, some
may enjoy the power. A good release. (RL)
- 4 Days That Shook The World also
makes Ray Lujah's Top 10 for that month!!!!
Slug
& Lettuce (USA)
Upon first glance of this CD, I
thought It said Killa Priest, but it was 3:45am. The Killerest
Expression are from England. They are a melodic pop-punkish band.
They do that Fat Wreck Chords (circa 1995) sound really well.
Maybe not the most original record I've heard, but it sounds really
good and at least it's not New Found Glory. Thye have 'The' in
front of their name, so maybe there's a spot for them on MTV these
days. MTV Europe at least.
Mass
Movement
It's fair to say that The Killerest
Expression are one of the best melodic punk acts in the UK right
now and there's a quite simple reason for this. These guys, you
see actually write songs you will remember - the kind of tumes
that creep into the back of your skull then sit there, refusing
to move like a bad tenant who won't pay the rent, but won't budge
either. Thankfully free of any wailing emo bollocks, The Killerest
Expression instead take their influences from classic punk band
slike Bad Religion, Leatherface, Naked Raygun and err, The Police
and craft their own quailty melodic punk along the way. Quality
band, quality songs, just pure quality all the way. Did I say
quality enough? Quality. - James
Riot
77 (Ireland)
Brummie band likened to Snuff and Bad Religion
but with shades of emo shining through also. The emo thing I could
do without, but it's not the principal focal point of the group
and can be overlooked at times with the urgency of their other
influences. The CD is a little short of thirty minutes with eight
songs that follow a familiar path, clean sounding and accessible
pop rock music with a hint more bitterness than emotion, with
a bit more depth than other bands that play on this sound. Catchy
tunes and volume, which is not a new concept but an effective
one all the same.
Scruffster
In At The Deep End Records have done the business for UK punk rock yet again,
proving still that there's a wealth of talent in rehearsal spaces up and down
the country screaming out for your attention in the face of all that mediocre
shite emanating from the rock rags' dribbling arse machine at the moment. For
those willing to dig a little deeper for their musical thrills you'll find melodic
punk-pop gems like 'Four Days...' jumping out at you from the undergrowth and
more than likely into your affections. TKE with this eight track mini album sound
very much like an English Bad Religion but far better than that over-rated institution
ever were, or even like a more serious Snuff before they ran out of steam a few
years back. People into the likes of Hooton 3 Car / Broccoli / Leatherface / Snuff
etc need this big time. And we've just gone and got all excited about UK melodic
punk rock again. Caught
In The Crossfire (Skate/Punk Magazine)
This release came out last year but I have just got a chance to have a copy in
my hand, but it was worth the wait. Another good band out there in the scene right
now that you just have to check out. Again, crunching riffs, melodic sing along
choruses that lend an ear to pop and overall splendid song writing. I played one
of their tracks whilst being a guest on one of James Sherry’s Kerrang radio
shows last year and it sounded great on air. My fave track on this release is
Tears and Blisters that just gets you in the mood for everything whilst also providing
lyrics that everyone can relate to about pushing boundaries. But this record is
a winner from top to bottom, watch out for the Killerest!
Unfit
For Consumption(Ireland)
The artwork and band name might
throw you into thinking they're an emo band but "Memory Loss"
opens the album like a clear pop punk version of Leatherface with
certain similarities to Millencolin too. Despite forming in 1994,
TKE, due to university and such really only started moving properly
in 1999. The vocal harmonies and melodies are superb, with their
English accents to the fore. The music is tight and very well
played walking the line between the aforementioned bands also
Consumed and a polished version of Snuff. The bonus songs, tracks
7 & 8 are less rounded and seem like demo versions or older
recordings and pale in comparison to the newer stuff. Incidentally
this was recorded by ex Pitchshifter man Johnny Carter and ex
Bivouac man Paul Yeadon. I like this one. (TM)
Europunk
Now what is that? A mini album? A maxi EP? Something in between
probably. What I know for sure is that it is another quality release
of ‘In at the deep end’ records in the UK. It has
nothing to do with ‘Send more paramedics’ or ‘November
coming fire’ but shows one more time how plain the scene
is over there. No zombies, blood or death this time. Only melodic
and smooth stuff!! ‘Memory
Loss’, the opener is almost certainly the most representative
song if you want to get an idea of the style they play. As a matter
of fact, it turned out to be pretty difficult to compare this
band to other references. It may sound like Good Charlotte sometimes
or Randy or even old Face to Face stuff, too. The guitar riffs
are catchy and infectious. The songs are easy to remember and
to digest. There are no real complicated structures in there but
just rock! What I didn’t like that much is the voice. It
sometimes sounds like when you’re squeezing a plastic duck
and reminds me of old Lagwagon vocals, like on ‘Duh’
for instance. I simply don’t like that kind of vocals, sorry.
But if you do, there is no reason you shouldn’t grab a copy
of this CD… The cover may be misleading because the orange-coloured
skyline on the front cover (and the back cover even more) could
make you think of an emo band, which is not the case at all. The
chorus is the only element that sometimes brings in some emo touches.
But that’s all – I promise! The lyrics are not too
politically engaged but deal more with feelings and mankind than
with great social problems. All in all a good production that
is at least worth being listened to so that you recognise the
name of the band when you’ll next see a flyer announcing
a gig of them in your hometown.
Scanner
8
tracks here, all of which are intriguing & rather convoluted webs of sound.
You get the ferocious, heads down bludgeon of Consumed mixed with the creative
pulse of Kids Near Water, but faced in a more rock direction. 'Mogadishu' &
the melodic malevolence of 'Tears & Blisters' are the highlights here. I guess
it is easy to see why Kerrang rates them, but there's much more here for the more
discerning Punk Rocker too.
LIVE REVIEW (from same issue)
I really quite
liked their recent 'Four Days That Shook The World' CD, so I was intrigued to
see how they'd cut it live, The answer? Pretty fucking ferociously!! The web of
sound that the band created on record is only enhanced live while the power within
the songs literally explodes from the stage. Good musicianship from all the band
& the bassist has the uncanny knack of resembling former Stupids & current
K-Line head honcho Ed Shred. 'Tears & Blisters' with its anthematic chorus
easily proved to be the set highlight for me although 'Memory Loss' ran in a close
second. Do
The Dog
Upcoming Uk label In At The
Deep End Records has pulled out a great 8 song CD by Midlands 4 piece band The
Killerest Expression. Titled 'Four Days That Shook The World', the disc has some
intense & intricate melodic power pop/punk and marks The Killerest Expression
as one of the top UK outfits in this genre alongside the likes of Jerry Built,
Vanilla Pod & Captain Everything. RockUK
Forming in 1994 under the title "the buggers", this release has been
along time coming, after going to uni forming under the current name "the
killerest expression". Gaining fans all over the country and gaining recognition
from some of the biggest magazines in the rock industry (getting voted in the
top 10 unsigned bands in the UK by kerrang readers and receiving 4K's for their
self financed debut single). Finally they have released their debut album (be
it a mini album) and so far, it is certainly going to live up to the good reputation
it has infront of it.
Starting off with "memory loss", an upbeat
slice of pop punk, it begins with probably the greatest intro I have heard from
a song in this genre for along time. Once the singing begins it is obvious theirs
something different about this band that makes them stand out in such a crowded
genre. Mixing Emotional vocals, beautiful fast-paced guitars with its heavier
counterpart dynamics, Memory loss is an instantly catchy amazing affair. A great
track and certainly a great way to start a CD let just hope it carries on this
way.
Sid's Song starts off with a delicate guitars but being overcome by it's
hard driven distorted partner, Sid's song is just your average radio friendly
hit single pop punk song, but with something different. It is soooo infectious
and you can't help but sing along with it, which is quite unusual for me (for
me to sing along to any song is quite a compliment lol). Not as good as the previous
song, but I doubt few can be better. Still good song with a great chorus, this
CD certainly feels special.
Tears & Blisters carries on the streak on
infectious catchy as hell songs, one thing "the killerest expression"
can do which most can't is somehow always manage to write amazingly catchy, fun
and fantastic chorus's not matter what the situation. So far this release looks
grand.
30 Second song and Love Eyes are another 2 examples of catchy punk
rock. Not as good as the previous songs yet still brimming full of great guitar
parts vocals and sing-a-long lyrics. But it's the next track "Mogadishu"
which really catches my eye, opening up with bass riff and pounding snare drum,
once the guitars and vocals kick in a great song is created. The vocals and the
music being created go so well together that you can't imagine anything else working
with it. Everything in this song is perfectly put together and couldn't be improved
in anyway, it just fits together so well. Mixing the vocal patterns of Gavin and
Ben (and maybe Damion, not 100% sure) to create an atmospheric sounding vocals
swooning through the entire song, and with a break to die which ends with an almighty
scream, you can't really ask much more from a song.
Now here come the bonus
tracks of the CD, no way near as good as the original 6, but still full of life.
"Colours" and "Everyday" are just lacking something, which
made the previous 6 tracks so good. I can't say what it is, but a piece of the
puzzle that is "the Killerest Expression has certainly been lost in the process
of making these bonus tracks. But as their bonus tracks they aren't exactly expected
to be great are they? Still they do have their good points, mixing TKE unique
brand of emotional punk rock; they still fulfill the needs of the listener and
give something fresh to a punk rock world, which has become boring and predictable.
So to sum things up, this is one of the best releases I have heard from this particular
genre all year, if not the very best one. I'm not usually a fan of this genre,
but when a band can produce something which shows extreme talent in song writing,
singing and the actually music coming blaring out of them amps how can you not
enjoy it? If your fan of emotional music or modern day punk, check out this band,
because if this release is anything to go by, The Killerest Expression is a name
you'll be hearing alot about for years to come.
Stand out tracks: Memory Loss,
Sid's Song, Mogadishu
Rating: 8/10
by Eddie Johnson
Pennyblackmusic
'Four Days That Shook The Word' is simply sublime. The title acts as if a witness
to the Killerest Expression rocking the world with their punk rock; standing on
buildings as the crowd feel the reverberations; the intensity; the flamboyance.
Once the album kicks in it expresses itself majestically, defining itself with
well-placed solos that fit into the background of the punk aggression with ease.
The guitars are the driving force behind The Killerest Expression. They are clean,
cultured and have a sound that emulates Swedish band Millencolin in parts; you
can’t complain about that at all ! Having
changed their name from the Buggers, it is clear to see the band’s original
intentions. Formed back in 1994, The Killerest Expression are as catchy a band
as any other. They do manage, on the other hand, to complement this with a harder
edge that will saw through the toughest of critics. The Killerest Expression are
Gav (Vocals and Guitar), Damion (Bass and Vocals), Sid (Drums) and Ben (Guitar
and Vocals). Between them they will no doubt storm the punk scene in the UK but
it may be difficult further afield. The potential is there regardless. First track,
'Memory Loss', is the ultimate in punk therapy. It screams for your attention,
dragging you in, before unleashing a torrent of honest lyrics and melody that
both unwinds and energises; it is holistic in its very sense. Even before the
effect of the first track has truly sunk in, 'Sid’s Song' plunges the listener
back into the deep end. It begins as if it will be one of the more calming songs
on the album but swiftly moves into a cavalcade of fast-moving, unadulterated
punk that gives over a message of responsibility and tells of the daily struggle
not to turn back to the days of old. The Killerest Expression have that ability
to convey the simplest of messages but also write lyrics that affect the listener,
making those who are receive the message think more about their lives and those
around them. 'Tears and Blisters' is perhaps one of those very tracks and it indulges
the listener with lines such as "it may bring me tears, and you don’t
see the blisters or the fire in my throat, feel the grip, hit the spot."
The Killerest Expression now have a name that is well known enough to guarantee
sales, but have maintained a musical style that has the potential to perform miracles
if the right person steps in on it. The cover artwork is talented also, courtesy
of band member Sid. It leaves the album complete and a joy to own. - Alex Halls Metal
Hammer
Impressive debut from this dishordian-influenced
four piece. Fantastic harmonies and clean angular Fugazi-via-Fletcher dragge style
riffs bastardised into their very own style (7) Drowned
In Sound
4 1/2 out of 5
Although
I could see this coming, with ‘Four Days…’ The Killerest Expression
have truly surpassed themselves, their potency for crafting infallibly catchy
music being taken to new and exciting levels which prove they are no longer a
fledgling band finding their feet but are now a formidable punk rock force ready
to take on the world.
This exciting formula was first exercised on last year’s
‘Here Come The Times’ EP under their old moniker of The Buggers but
with a (much needed) new name, a fresh new record deal and a stonking new album
The Killerest Expression will undoubtedly be a name on many a punkster’s
lips in the coming months. Opener
‘Memory Loss’ explodes with power and intricacy that surges throughout
this disc, throbbing with a driving urgency and passionately delivered vocals.
It’s a track I often find replaying itself in my head during a particularly
sunny day, it’s dynamism following through into ‘Sid’s Song’
where fast-paced and ever-changing fretwork between the guitars and bass provide
interweaving melodies that could rival any of the Vagrant or Drive Thru bands.
Indeed, considering their lack of American accents Killerest’s potential
is frightening. But then, along with bands such as The Copperpot Journals, Captain
Everything, Jerry Built, Horace Goes Skiiing, Fireapple Red and countless others
there is a vibrant and healthy new crop of homegrown talent waiting to be discovered
and although The Killerest Expression are more than capable of spearheading this
new UK punk rock scene it’s ultimately up to the fickle young music-buyer
to give them support. Whatever. From the intense, emotionally-charged ‘Tears
& Blisters’, the upbeat & rocking ’30 Second Song’ to the
poppy but cursive ‘Mogadishu’ (with quite possible the best bridge section
ever written) ‘Four Days…’ is bursting with power, drive and emotion
– all the right ingredients for a perfect summer punk rock record. Mat
Hocking
Big
Cheese
****
(Debut from UK Punkers
formerly known as The Buggers)
I guess these guys must've changed their name
in an attempt to get taken more seriously & judging by this, their debut mini
album they're well on the road. The KE's sound is one of a very british hard hitting
yet melodic punk, in the vein of stalwarts like Leatherface and Snuff. Its powerful
and definately gets the old foot tapping to the great hooks & solos. This
CD is made up from 2 different sessions but still feels cohesive. A nice start
& the names a great improvement too. Punktastic
The Killerest Expression. What’s that
then? Is it the most terrifying face you have ever seen, one that leads to instant
death? Or is the band formerly know as The Buggers, ready to reassert their position
as one of the UK’s best up and coming punk bands? Quite obviously it is the
latter, and ‘Four Days That Shook The World’ is their latest release,
an eight track mini album. It comes as little surprise that the band have changed
their name, and hopefully, with a more respectable name, more people will sit
up and take notice of them. The
Killerest Expression play a brand of melodic punk rock, and they play it very
well. Having been together on and off since 1994, the band have finely honed their
skills and this latest release emphasises that fact perfectly. Opening track ‘Memory
Loss’ explodes onto your stereo in a wall of sound. It also has a great opening
guitar riff, one of those infectious efforts that stay in your head for days.
‘Sid’s Song’ is another great slice of melodic punk rock, a track
that features another big chorus, one of the standout features of the mini album.
For me ‘Tears & Blisters’ is the standout song. It really is as
good as anything your favourite American punk bands have been producing for the
last couple of years. It is infectious, melodic and passionate. What more could
you want from a song? ’30 Second Song’ surprised me by actually being
over a minute! (Sorry, that was poor!) However, as in most short songs, it is
fast paced and catchy, and shows another side to the band. ‘Love Eye’
follows in much the same vein. It’s another fast paced and infectious song,
and one that shows no dip in the song writing quality of the band. At this point
you actually begin to wonder why the vocals are English and not American. Surely
we can’t have produced a melodic punk band with this level of quality. As
if to answer this point, ‘Mogadishu’ comes into view and proves beyond
any doubt that this is a band to get excited about. The two bonus tracks on the
album, ‘Colours’ and ‘Everyday’, are from another recording
session, but that matters not one bit. They see the band in fine form again and
only serve to enhance the album. ‘Four Days That Shook The World’ is
a mini album that commands your attention, and your cash, for a number of reasons.
It proves that this country is capable of producing quality punk bands, but most
importantly it is simply a very strong release. There isn’t a bad song on
it, and there are a couple of excellent tracks. The Killerest Expression are without
a doubt one of the UK’s greatest punk rock hopes. If they continue with releases
of this quality it won’t just be this country’s music fans they will
be impressing… Fracture
I'd heard good things about this band and actually
had this on my pirchase list, then I got sent 2 copies in the space of 24 hours!
I've played this a few times over the past week or so and while I have to confess
it's not exactly blown me away, there's is no denying that they have a certain
something. Firstly they can play their instruments and play them damn well, there
are elements of a clean tuneful hardcore sound, there's rock out indie parts and
an amalgamation of styles that renders any type of classification and pigeon-holing
redundant. It sounds very good, unfortunately I am left holding nothing when it's
over. I have a feeling they are a band I'll need to see live before it makes true
sense to me. (DS)
Punknew.org.uk
Power! the album is full of punky riffs that are
infectious and make great listening, they are marketed as power pop punk! Pop
punk not being my forte but to be honest i don't think they were very pop at all,
its a good all round album, can't knock the recording quality and its an all round
good album. Its a steal at £6 and you should all make room for it in your
cd collection.
All in all an infectious album (in a good way) full of punky
catchy riffs - an album you'll be humming for day.
Reviewed by - elmo Allschool
(Germany)
Früher besser bekannt als The
Buggers rocken sich TKE durch die Englischen Kerrang Charts. Durch diversen Szenegrößen
wie Snuff, Fugazi, NOFX usw. beeinflusst, spielen TKE uns einen netten Punkrock
auf sowohl gefühl als auch das reine Leben auf der Überholspur kennt.
Die 8 Songs erinnern mich ein wenig an Brittpop sowohl als auch an den nötigen
Undergroundflavor den eine Band mit deren Qualitäten einfach braucht.
Catchy melodien, nette Texte und Musik die man gerne mitlallt, was bracht man
mehr an einem so schönen sonnigen Wintersonntag? Die Band hat die Musik bestimmt
nicht neu erfunden aber Songs wie Tears & Blisters die bleiben ganz schnell
in meinem Kopf hängen! 6/10 Simone Enough
Webzine (Germany)
One
of the latest releases on IATDE coming along with a free video CD with first 50
mailorders, so you´d better hurry up if you´re in favour of poppy
punk and punky pop. Compared to Lovejunk, Killerest Expression´s songs are
a bit more diverse and not as simple. So be on the lookout (got it...?). What
really got me excited was Mark´s letter and the free CD compilation enclosed
to this CD, which has some promising IATDE news. First he´s going to release
a CD by a band called The Devils featuring members of my favourite UK live bands
Stalingrad and Hard To Swallow. The track on the compilation sounds very promising:
Dirty and heavy Hardcore! The second thing getting my panty wet is that IATDE
is going to release a CD by Jailcell Recipes containing live, unreleased and rare
stuff. Yeah, they were one of the best UK bands back in the days and if you´re
able to get their records, especially the first one, get them! The future looks
bright.... Music-Scan
(Germany)
Ich hatte bisher noch überhaupt
nichts von der Band gehört und dementsprechend groß war auch die Ungewissheit
darüber, was mir da in wenigen Sekunden aus den Boxen entgegendröhnen
würde. Rein äußerlich hätte ich auf etwas Derberes getippt,
aber weit gefehlt, denn The Killerest Expression machen recht flotten und beschwingten
melodischen Punkrock der Marke Snuff oder auch 59 Times The Pain. Klar, hat man
alles schon mehr als genug gehört, aber die Platte ist so erfrischend und
ungezwungen, dass es sich durchaus lohnt, den acht Songs der Briten etwas mehr
Gehör zu schenken. Aufgenommen hat man die Platte übrigens mit Jonny
A Carter (ex-Pitchshifter), obwohl man dies der Platte nicht unbedingt anhört,
denn irgendwelche Industrial- oder Elektronikelemente sucht man auf "Four
Days That Shook The World" vergebens. Braucht die Platte auch nicht wirklich,
denn wer klingen will, wie Bad Religion sollte gefälligst die Finger von
solchen Spielereien lassen, oder? Die Tatsache, dass die Jungs um einiges beherzter
und rauer an die Sache herangehen, lässt sie etwas aus dem übergroßen
Schatten ihrer Vorbilder heraustreten, wobei sie schon noch Einiges davon entfernt
sind, ihre eigene Identität gefunden zu haben. Immerhin sah sie der Kerrang
als eine der zehn besten ungesignten Bands Englands, was doch schon mal eine erste
Anerkennung für die harte Arbeit der Band, die es schon seit 1994 gibt, darstellt.
Gesanglich gibt es noch ein paar Ungereimtheiten, die auch unter dem recht im
Vordergrund stehenden Gitarrenbrett nicht verwischt werden können. Gute Band,
die durchaus Potential hat, einmal in die Liga ihrer Helden aufzusteigen, ich
weiß allerdings nicht, wie viele Leute es dann noch interessieren wird,
aber das ist ja eigentlich egal. 7/10 |
£3
€5
$6
£5