8/10

Over the last few years, we have seen a distinct rise in the bold and thunderous rise in the world of gritty punk rock. With bands like IDLES and Fontaines DC currently whipping up a frenzy with their socially-aware and tenacious attitude towards the world we are now living in, it has opened up the doors for many other disenfranchised outfits to bring their own style of frenzy to the fold. And while Dublin's The Murder Capital have been making a grand impression with their previous singles to date, the band now throw everything they have into their debut album 'When I Have Fears', a release that never holds back on the bleak and apocalyptic atmosphere.

Much like their contemporaries, The Murder Capital slip nicely into that raw and uncompromising sound that pays little attention to production, but instead gives off the aesthetic of a pure and unadulterated emotion from the very start. Taking cues from IDLES' incredible 'Joy As An Act Of Resistance', the group's debut effort is this ball-busting juggernaut of ferocious riffs and pounding drums, all wrapped up in the vocal presence of singer James McGovern, who leads his band down a dark and evermore self-realised sense of despair with his haunting and ominous presence.

It may not be doing anything particularly original, but what 'When I Have Fears' does, it does exceptionally well. Each track is purposely placed to add that little bit more grandeur to their chosen direction, giving this release a strong and driven pace that keeps you enthralled and makes for an incredibly captivating first listen.