Single
Turnstiles
Turnstiles EP
Blowtorch (label)
08 January 2021 (released)
14 February 2021
To claim that punk is dead has become a well-worn cliché. Happily, though, whenever the genre goes through a rough period, someone always arrives to breathe new life into it. Turnstiles are a case in point; a young Irish quintet who - it soon becomes clear - are not out to waste words (or notes) and are really f**king angry.
Opening track 'Something To Die For' can't fail to grab your attention, with its almost machine-gun-esque drum intro segueing into a melodic verse that is nonetheless shot through with a sense of urgency. Killing Joke are a strong reference point here; vocalist Callum Mitchell's vehement, semi-spoken delivery would surely get a nod of approval from Jaz Coleman and co, as would the chiming guitars and post-punk rhythms of 'Just Bleed' and 'In A State'.
However, it is probably third track 'Omniscient Delusion' that makes the most impact; a fine three-minute statement of the kind of discontent that has long fuelled this genre. "I'm a piece of a puzzle that will never be solved/I'm a pawn in a system that will never be solved" declares Mitchell. He may not have the answers, but his band certainly has a way of confronting the questions head-on.
Ultimately, Turnstiles sound like they made this EP not just as a way to pass these COVID-addled times, but because they'd explode with frustration if they didn't. That what makes it so compelling, and certainly bodes well for what must be incendiary live shows.
Opening track 'Something To Die For' can't fail to grab your attention, with its almost machine-gun-esque drum intro segueing into a melodic verse that is nonetheless shot through with a sense of urgency. Killing Joke are a strong reference point here; vocalist Callum Mitchell's vehement, semi-spoken delivery would surely get a nod of approval from Jaz Coleman and co, as would the chiming guitars and post-punk rhythms of 'Just Bleed' and 'In A State'.
However, it is probably third track 'Omniscient Delusion' that makes the most impact; a fine three-minute statement of the kind of discontent that has long fuelled this genre. "I'm a piece of a puzzle that will never be solved/I'm a pawn in a system that will never be solved" declares Mitchell. He may not have the answers, but his band certainly has a way of confronting the questions head-on.
Ultimately, Turnstiles sound like they made this EP not just as a way to pass these COVID-addled times, but because they'd explode with frustration if they didn't. That what makes it so compelling, and certainly bodes well for what must be incendiary live shows.