Album review: HEAVY DRAPES – Crashing Like Stars

Cadiz Music

Heavy Drapes were one of the UK’s most promising new punk bands who, in a two year period, went from playing to an audience of twenty to gracing the main stage at the Rebellion festival. Unfortunately, following the untimely death of the band’s frontman Garry Borland, Heavy Drapes are no more, however, with the release of debut album “Crashing Like Stars” the band have left us with not only a fitting tribute to Borland but also one to their own musical endeavours.

“Crashing Like Stars” contains ten tracks of proper old school punk rock, full of hooks and melodies, the album has shades of the Stooges, Heartbreakers and the New York Dolls throughout. Kicking off with “Should I Suck or Should I Blow” this album is packed with great songs and is as in your face as it should be.

“Into The Blue” nods it’s head slightly to the age of Nirvana whilst “Janie” is as good as anything the Offspring has released, and is my favourite track here, whilst “Hanging Like A Suicide” reminds me of the Cook and Jones line up of The Professionals. There is some great guitar work on “Human Machine” but both that and “Number 1” are slightly hampered by the mix, which is a shame as they are good songs. The album’s remaining highlights are “Head Screwed On” and “Make Some Trouble”, that said, there really isn’t a poor song on the album.

The fact that the band have now disbanded and even more than this, that the band have lost such an enigmatic frontman, is a loss to the music world. What they have left behind however is a great document to what once was. ****

Review by Nikk Gunns

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KLOGR face The Unknown (Zeta Factory)
BEYOND UNBROKEN Dance With The Dead (FiXT)
REVENGIN Decadent Feeling (Wormholedeath)

Featured Albums w/c 11 November 2024

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Singer Songwriter)