Photo: Lee Hammond

Following on from stints in Gallows and then Pure Love, Frank Carter has just released his second album Modern Ruin with his band The Rattlesnakes. On the face of it his latest incarnation doesn’t appear to be as visceral as his previous work, but things can often be very different live. Carter is not known for his shy and retiring performances. Tonight sees him continuing on his sold out UK tour and following rave reviews from the two dates previous, there is certainly an air of anticipation tonight.

As we arrive Yonaka have just taken to the stage and as the room fills their tracks lack any atmosphere, as they hit their stride the guitars sound weak against the thundering bass and drums. Similarly, the vocals seem to fade into the background, its unfortunate though as within the dirge of bass and drums there is something interesting. However, it fails to ignite the now packed audience who seem to lack enthusiasm for Yonaka.

It’s a very different story for Frank Carter though as the lights dim and the tension mounts, the band take their places and the thrum of ‘Snake Eyes’ fills the room. As Carter emerges in his gold pinstripe suit the crowd erupt into raucous verse, grabbing the microphone he immediately begins to taunt them. From the off the previously civilised audience turns into a mass of flailing limbs as the bravest surf on top of them.

Bodies drop over the barriers at will, Carter remains un-phased by the mayhem and chaos that has ensued following his arrival. Helping the odd one out and welcoming them to his stage its an energetic start, he shares his microphone before allowing them to re-join pandemonium. As he announces ‘Wild Flowers’ he provides a stern warning to all males in the crowd as another barrage of crowd surfing commences.

There is the odd moment of calm during ‘Bluebelle’ and ‘Jackals’, but any serenity is short-lived as the madness is always quick to continue. As the set reaches it’s crescendo it’s a trio of powerful and passionate tracks that see both Carter and the entire audience in full voice, ‘Lullaby’, ‘Devil Inside Me’ and the riot inducing ‘I Hate You’ all round out an insane set.

However, Frank Carter must be commended for his heartfelt passion and gratitude, he repeatedly thanks all involved including the often unrecognised security. For all his tracks are turbulent and incite unruly reactions, the affection that is shown from both the crowd and Carter himself is exceptional and often unheard of.

Frank Carter – Tattooist, former Gallows frontman, one-time Pure Love singer, painter and (as of 2015) one-quarter of Frank Carter And The Rattlesnakes. To say that Carter likes to keep busy is like saying that Rick James quite liked to party. With so much creative output throughout his career so far, it should come as no surprise that Carter’s collective influences are eclectic, which brings us to the latest album from The Rattlesnakes, Modern Ruin.

From start to finish, it’s clear that this record is born out of everything that went before it. Gallows’ venom and Pure Love’s melodic rock tones are both here, combined with the sledgehammer riffs and driving drums provided once again by Rattlesnakes' Dean Richardson (guitar), Tom Barclay (bass) and Gareth Grover (drums).

Where the Rattlesnakes’ previous album, Blossom, was a sonic punch to the face, Modern Ruin is a dagger slipped between the ribs, moving away from heavy guitars to get its point across, taking a more discrete, but no less impactful approach. This shift is clear from the album’s first track, ‘Bluebelle’. A lilting country-blues tune (named after Carter’s dog, as it happens) might not be what you expect from a frontman who was previously photographed shirtless and bloody-faced, but Modern Ruin isn’t an album that just re-treads old ground.

That’s not to say there isn’t any grit or aggression to be found, ‘Jackals’ is a sub-one-minute hardcore tornado, ‘Modern Ruin’ feels like the Beastie Boys’ Sabotage meets Refused, and Richardson’s main riff in ‘Snake Eyes’ will stick in your head like an ice-pick. The difference between this and the Frank Carter of old is that he’s found a different way to get his point across. Sure, there are punk and hardcore elements, but there is also blues, country, and indie sounds that don’t just find their way into the mix, they’re as much part of this album as anything else.

Lyrically, a lot of the lyrical content is introspective, with Carter laying his emotions bare, singing about love and his own mortality, then things take a real turn with ‘Thunder’. Opening with a simple clean guitar line and violin-like distorted sustained notes, the track sees Carter take a more sombre tone, and that’s something that’s echoed by the words he’s uttering. Tackling the subject of the conflicts and migrant crises that have become an almost routine part of watching or reading the news, it’s one of the most emotional tracks on Modern Ruin, while also being the most outward-looking.

As you might have guessed, Modern Ruin isn’t a surprise return to the fury of Gallows, and it even applies the brakes a little compared to Blossom. With its twists and turns, intricacies and themes, this album is built on the history of what went before it, not as a Frankenstein’s monster amalgamation, but as a mirror of Carter’s own combined experience and maturity.

In short, even if you aren’t a fan of Gallows, Pure Love or even the last Rattlesnakes album, give Modern Ruin a listen, it might surprise you.

Modern Ruin is available via Amazon & iTunes.