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Album review: Frenzee – ‘Runnin’ Amok’

This Greek-Australian punk rock trio bring killer riffing and lyrical fire!

Do you like your music to send a huge jolt of adrenaline through your system? Then you really should get acquainted with Frenzee. Technically they’re not a new band – ‘Runnin’ Amok’ is the Greek-Australian sibling trio’s third album – but they’re still relative unknowns (in the UK, at least), something that will surely change in the near future. On this record, they fearlessly jettison anything and everything that wouldn’t hit you at gut level, and there’s not an ounce of fat on what remains.

We saw them twice earlier this year, with vocalist Apollonia clad first in a Motörhead t-shirt, then in a Bikini Kill one, and that’s not a bad indication of where her band are coming from musically. A mix of riot-grrl energy, hulking riffs, and utterly relentless drumming – all blasted out at often hardcore velocity and with minimal subtlety. Hey, we’re not complaining, and neither will you – not least as, at 10 songs in less than half an hour, ‘Runnin’ Amok’ doesn’t outstay its welcome.

The general idea is that brothers Adonis and Nikos (guitar and drums respectively) work up a seriously seismic wall of sound, whilst Apollonia channels her inner Kathleen Hanna to pour lyrical fire on top of it all. Sure, it’s no radical departure from their previous albums, but this time around, they’ve honed their sound into a Proper Rock Record, without sacrificing any of its power. For the most part, they sound utterly unstoppable – from the moment Adonis’ thrash-tinged shredding cuts in on opener ‘Wit’s End’ to the killer kiss-off of previous single ‘Unapologetically Me’.

Photo by Katerina Kerouli

They let on up the pace from time to time to get seriously bouncy à la Rage Against The Machine; in particular, on ‘Keep Comin’ My Way’, which is no less addictive than anything else on offer here. It’s not all bludgeon, either; there’s a great melodic dual vocal attack on ‘Overreaction’ and ‘Thrill Seeker’, and how could we not mention the latter’s immortal line: “We’re standing on the rocks of Crete/Left out for the vultures to eat”? There’s a strong sense of self-belief to this record, and quite rightly so.

‘Runnin’ Amok’ is indeed a perfect soundtrack to running amok, and also to driving very fast; we predict a fair few speeding tickets for their fans in the coming months. A superb album that, however, can only pale in comparison to the Frenzee live experience, with all three members going absolutely apeshit, and whipping up – wait for it! – frenzied pits to boot. We wouldn’t bet against this record being the one to break the band out of the pub and club circuit, so catch them soon if you can – you can thank us (and them!) later.

‘Runnin’ Amok’ is released on 23rd October – pre-order it HERE.

Main Photo Credit: JESSICA CALVO

  1. Wit’s End
  2. Leech
  3. Jack Of All Trades
  4. Hyperactive
  5. Keep Comin’ My Way
  6. The Devil On My Shoulder
  7. Thrill Seeker
  8. Overreaction
  9. Public Enemy
  10. Unapologetically Me
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