80s Hard Rock Meets the Best of 90s Punk with the Clowns, an Australian Punk Rock Band
My new obsession could be a group from Australia called the Clowns. With their 12-track album ENDLESS, you get unbelievable talent that would make Eddie from Stranger Things grow a stiffy, and your teenage self who got wet over Blink-182 need a new pair of pants. It’s the best of both decades – the 80s and 90s – with melting solos and voices that would cause a generation to trade khakis for board shorts. The album is everything you want when discovering a band – a showcase of range, talent, and plenty of powerhouse moments leaving you wanting to revisit it time and time again.
The album starts with a gentle piano, an intro song titled “ENDLESS,” like a good doctor giving you something to ease the pain for the onslaught to come. The guitar roars in like a shot to the face, blown back as you suddenly realize the sleeves of your shirt have come off and wondering if it’s time for an oil change on your lifted truck in the driveway. Your mind is back when life was all about sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll. Without missing a beat the band propels you from “ENDLESS” to “FORMALDEHYDE” with a hellish scream. These two voices collide – one male, one female – going back and forth screaming about things they hate and love. “SCARED TO DIE” comes on next using sex as an elixir of youth, a song I hope gets someone laid. “THANKS 4 NOTHING” gives me a sense of youthful rebellion and effortless joy. It is at this moment I understand their name – Clowns. This mockery, foolishness. The cool, confidence of not caring. Jesters of rock with powerful sounds and unapologetic understanding of who they are comes out with each riff and drum beat. They are here to play, have fun, f*ck. Their mortality is a theme in each tune, painting the world as a playground. And I’m ready to ride the merry-go-round.
This brings me to the next track – “BISEXUAL AWAKENING.” I laughed with this one. An awakening, for sure and the song comes across as a release of emotion. An anthem for the new generation behind lyrics like “I’d f*ck your mother, and your brother, too.” “I GOT A KNIFE” could be the new theme song for Mike Myers if he ever requested one. A dizzy guitar sound swirls in your head as the lyrics of “I Got a Knife” bulge your eyes and force you to grit your teeth. It’s insanity, and I love it.
They tap into a hardcore sound through back-to-back songs in “DEATH WISH” and “ENOUGH’S ENOUGH.” The growling voice and solid breakdowns illustrate the band is more than a cheap circus trick, they have range. Speaking of range, from these two hardcore songs they go acoustic with “QUICKSAND.” Slow and steady reminding me of “Swing Life Away” by Rise Against until electric sounds come through my speakers and bring chills to my spine.
I finish the album wanting more. Sobering thoughts of death and the excitement of life play in my head, pointing out the beauty of this band – their ability to provide mind-boggling songs with the aptitude to match. Leaving me to say, that ENDLESS is a perfect addition to the punk world and an album that should be spread to any fan willing to lend an ear.
Wanna give them a go? Head to their Bandcamp –clownsband.bandcamp.com. They update their Instagram quite regularly and you can give them a follow at – instagram.com/clownsband.