Idylls - The Barn album review

Aussie punk antagonists do more than blow the bloody doors off

Cover art for Idylls - The Barn album

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Idylls’ third album is as freeform as punk gets, and with an untamed hatred throbbing at its core, The Barn is not a cosy place to rest your head for the night. Sounding like they’re actively trying to hurt you, Billie Stimple’s pained vocals are akin to Frank Carter at his most biting, while the underlying militaristic marching of On My Chopping has an air of Killing Joke about it. All this is buried deep in the layers of twisted noise created by the Brisbane maniacs, curating a feeling of desperation and violence, struggling to survive in a nightmare of their own creation. The distant sounds of a saxophone being abused only adds to the nonsensical and hellacioussoundscape, none more so than on the exploration into musical depravity that is the title track. There is no melody here. There are no friends, either.

Luke Morton joined Metal Hammer as Online Editor in 2014, having previously worked as News Editor at popular (but now sadly defunct) alternative lifestyle magazine, Front. As well as helming the Metal Hammer website for the four years that followed, Luke also helped relaunch the Metal Hammer podcast in early 2018, producing, scripting and presenting the relaunched show during its early days. He also wrote regular features for the magazine, including a 2018 cover feature for his very favourite band in the world, Slipknot, discussing their turbulent 2008 album, All Hope Is Gone.