The Yorkshire pop-punkers' entire 7-inch back catalogue immortalised on two slabs of plastic!
This highly prolific band from Leeds are a relatively new one to me. I always thought Cyanide Pills were a band from the past, but I’ve now discovered otherwise. That’s not to say that they don’t have a good portion of their influences rooted firmly in the late 70s and early 80s. The band themselves also admit that they are very eclectic in their musical tastes, and that’s a good thing, in my book. This mammoth release – ‘Singled Out‘ – of all the band’s EP’s (including exclusive b-sides not featured on any studio albums) proves that fact. Over the years, Cyanide Pills have certainly not been slacking in the songwriting department, and this 33-song collection spans over two slabs of glorious coloured vinyl (and CD), courtesy of Damaged Goods Records.
The release also includes two upcoming singles by the band. One is also to be included with Safety Pin fanzine, and one and upcoming and very limited lathe-cut 7 inch. A third single will also coincide with the ‘Singled Out‘ album release; Cyanide Pills will unleash ‘When I’m With You‘ on the same record label (but it’s not included on this album collection). Are you keeping up?
Obviously, I can’t review every song on this album, but I can give you an overview of it all. Cyanide Pills unleashed their first single in 2009 (‘Break It Up‘), and since then have released 14 EPs. Their most recent one was a split release last year, with Switzerland’s Nasty Rumours. Every song was recorded at the Billiard Room in Leeds, and they were all produced by Carl ‘Razorblade‘ Rosamond.
The opening tracks are the A-sides, beginning with the band’s first EP, and the song ‘Break It Up‘, which is prime 1970’s-sounding punk rock. This song is an ode to a volatile relationship with someone named Sadie. The next EP is apparently quite sought after, and its title track, ‘Suicide Bomber‘, has its tongue firmly placed in its cheek, in true Ramones fashion. It boasts a catchy guitar riff and a breakdown that almost conjures up images of Elvis or glam rockers Mud (you decide).
‘Up Against The Wall‘ carries on in a Ramones style, and lambasts our government’s lies, over a nice clean guitar sound. It is soon evident that Cyanide Pills are very good tunesmiths, and if you had told me that some of these songs were recorded in the late 70s, I wouldn’t have argued with you.
‘Johnny Thunders Lived In Leeds‘ is a fun little number, and its fantastical subject matter is pretty much covered by the song title. It has a slower tempo and tells a lighthearted story, where the singer announces, “I was on my knees when Johnny Thunders lived in Leeds.” Apparently, even the kids were looking through his window when this Heartbreaker legend came to visit.
‘Where Did It Go?‘ addresses the age-old disappearing wage slip mystery, and ‘Apathy‘ gets satisfyingly frantic in an almost Hanson Brothers manner (The Canadian punk band, NOT the infamous fictional ice hockey players). ‘Waiting For You To Call Me‘ takes the American pop-punk route, and ‘Government‘ gets the rock n roll treatment, whilst pointing the finger at the powers that be, for “robbing me blind.”
By track 17, it is time for the B-sides to shine… ‘Mail Order Bride‘ kicks things off with a subject matter that many would say should probably have stayed in the 1970s. For the less sensitive in the room, enjoyment is probably to be had with the 1977 schoolboy humour of it all. By the same token, they have another tongue-in-cheek song included in this collection called ‘My Baby’s Become A Right Wing Extremist‘, where they sing “Run a mile. She’s got a sieg heil smile.” After picking my jaw up off the floor, normal service is resumed, and ‘Lock Up‘ almost goes in a dub/post-punk direction, proving that Cyanide Pills are not scared to experiment.
‘Black Lightning‘ is particularly rocking and also includes some nifty surf-sounding guitar work. This song almost channels The Dickies in its urgency. ‘Diagnosis‘, meanwhile, has more of a contemporary style that had me in mind of The Hives for some reason. This collection ends with a bit of a rager in the form of ‘My Mind’s On Strike‘, which has an American hardcore feel to it.
All in all, this ‘Singled Out‘ collection more than proves that Cyanide Pills can craft a top-notch, old school punk rock tune. Damaged Goods have done a grand job with this release, and to be honest, there’s not a bad song on the album (That’s definitely saying something, considering the amount of tracks on offer!) If you enjoy bands like The Briefs, you’ll be sure to love this impressive package.
Dropping on 22nd May 2026, get your copy of ‘Singled Out‘ on double colour vinyl or CD from HERE
Catch Cyanide Pills on tour in 2026:
20th May – Sonic Ballroom, Köln (Germany)
21st May – Hafenklang, Hamburg (Germany)
22nd May – Wild At Heart, Berlin (Germany)
23rd May – Freakshow, Essen (Germany)
7th November – Louisiana, Bristol (w/ The Briefs & Quick Romance)
8th November – Con Club, Lewes (w/ The Briefs & Quick Romance)
13th November – Ivory Blacks, Glasgow (w/ The Briefs)
14th November – Styx, Glenrothes (w/ The Briefs)
15th November – Morecambe Punk Fest
1. Break It Up
2. Suicide Bomber
3. Conquer The World
4. Up Against The Wall
5. Johnny Thunders Lived In Leeds
6. Where Did It Go?
7. Apathy
8. Waiting (For You To Call Me)
9. Government
10. Big Mistake
11. Just For You
12. The Kids Can’t Be Trusted With Rock ‘n’ Roll
13. Hope You’re Having Fun
14. Falling For You
15. Amalia
16. Second Best
17. Mail Order Bride
18. Stick ‘Em Up
19. Black Lightning
20. Diagnosis
21. Lying Low
22. Shallow
23. Lock Up
24. Conspiracy Theory
25. Hooked On You
26. Hit It
27. My Baby’s Become A Right Wing Extremist
28. I’m Celebrating
29. Do You Wanna Know?
30. Don’t Tell Me Everything’s Alright
31. I Don’t Wanna Dance
32. My Mind’s On Strike
33. New Love
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I have been writing reviews for Brighton & Hove News, and more recently Vive Le Rock magazine for a few years now. Previously, I could be spotted playing drums for many a band over the decades. A noisy habit developed whilst wearing short trousers at school, and one that has had me touring around the UK and Europe. Punk rock is my life, but I am also quite eclectic. I am an avid gig go-er and music devourer, and can feel out of sorts if a gig date is not on the horizon. I have also been known to put gigs on myself in order to fill those gaps.
Did you know that we are 100% DIY? We run our own game. No one dictates to us, and no one drives what we can or cannot put on our pages – and this is how we plan to continue!
