Sunderland band Slalom D's new album Waltz into Anarchy is everything punk should be

Their latest album, Waltz Into Anarchy, is a delight for anyone who likes music with teeth. But it isn’t just pounding aggression. There is literacy and texture to it too.

It kicks off with the short and suitably barnstorming Red, which currently opens the band’s live shows and leaves the listener no doubt as to what the album is all about.

Then comes the rather more introspective sounding Empire, which makes telling use of Andrew Scobie’s keyboard.

The title track, Waltz Into Anarchy, is among the more melodious tracks. Indeed, it’s 3/4 time means you can actually waltz to it, should it take your fancy.

Burning Days has been nominated at the Sunderland Shorts Film Festival and the Prague Music Video Awards 2023. The song itself is a live highlight and, with a chorus providing a hook this good, we can see why.

L’Appel Du Vide (the Call of the Void) maintains the melodious energy, in fact the energy level rarely drops, before we flip to side B (some of you may need to ask your parents what that means).

Slalom D are noted for their pride in Sunderland and the album draws on local folklore. Perhaps the best example of this is Cat and Dogs, a track ostensibly about the famous steps at Roker.

However, the song is really about discovering the gruesome supposed reason behind the name of the Cat and Dog Steps and therefore, according to singer Fiona Duncan, about “spoiling a childhood dream” and “blissfully being ignorant”.

Space precludes a précis of every track, but the album closes with the upbeat, nay joyous Sound of Her Wings, a crowd pleaser despite its mere 1:13 length.

Recorded at Sunderland’s Bunker Studio, the album is available on CD from the Facebook pages of both the band and record label Serial Bowl, digitally (from September 15) and on vinyl.

You can also see Slalom D perform at The Ivy House, Worcester Terrace at 7pm on Saturday, September 16.

You’re unlikely to hear any of this pulsating album at the average silver wedding. But if you love a bit of punk, you’ll love Waltz Into Anarchy. 9/10.