While their 2011 full-length debut, Hated, earned a few critical nods with its sneering amalgam of power-chord punk and garish Sunset Strip excess, Sweden’s Sister still fell well short of the notoriety they had hoped to achieve. This follow-up, then, sees the band reaffirm their commitment to bruising punk aggression, although rest assured that this is no rehash of Hated.
Bracing fist-pumpers like Sick and the album’s title track reveal a shift towards the sleazier side of things, favouring stickier grooves, smouldering breakdowns and stratospheric fretboard histrionics. Also, frontman Jamie has sharpened his vocals with a piercing black metal wail that he alternates with a traditional rock approach, inviting comparisons to Kvelertak on opener My Enemy and the blazing beatdown of Slay Yourself.
A parking lot punch-up full of throaty gang vocals, scorching riffage and plenty of middle-finger choruses, Disguised Vultures might not break much new ground, but it most certainly marks a broad step closer to Sister’s spot in the mainstream.
