These Punk legends from Ireland aim to produce their career best, with this penultimate album project release
This punk art project began life in 2019, where the ultimate vision of Paranoid Visions was to release five pieces, combining albums with art prints, a poetry book and other interesting elements. A multimedia affair, if you like! ‘Subverse Reality‘ is the penultimate album release in the band’s ‘Countdown To Pharmageddon‘ collection, and Paranoid Visions are proud of the results: “This album has been 45 years in the making” they say. “Every record we’ve released has had some sort of limitation, but this is almost certainly the best Paranoid Visions album ever made”.
The creation of this particular album hasn’t been without its bumps in the road, with countless re-writes, re-recordings, multiple studios and remixing involved along its journey. The album’s future may have looked doubtful to some, but due to the band’s dogged perseverance, ‘Subverse Reality‘ has finally seen the light of day and could be one of their best releases to date. What better way to celebrate the 45th anniversary of Paranoid Visions?
Paranoid Visions are:
Deko – Vocals
Aoife Destruction – Vocals
P.A – Guitar
Danny – Guitar
T.J Qra – Bass
Jay Sus Christ – Drums
Steo Pain – Samples
The first track on ‘Subverse Reality‘ is ‘Nuclear War‘, which reminds us that this particular threat seems as relevant today as it did back in the early 1980’s. The guitar riffing reminds me of early Killing Joke, and there are some great samples at the beginning of the song, warning us that evil does indeed walk amongst us… ‘Cudda Wudda Shudda‘ takes the dub/ska route, which combined with Deko’s very distinctive vocals sounds not too surprisingly like the band’s late 90’s/early 2000’s spin-off band, Strickniën DC. The song has a Punk rock chorus, and the guitar sounds middle eastern at times, all leading up to an epic climax:
The first spoken word/poetry piece is up next, called ‘The Gospel Truth‘, which dissects and takes apart the thought of religion, yet at the same time, imagining what you might do in the so-called messiah’s shoes. “If it had been me,” Deko says before proclaiming, “It’s nonsense of course. The bible of libel.” The next song is one of the album’s high points. It’s called ‘Disaster Zone‘ and should be played loudly. The state of the world is the song’s subject, where the band sing “Stop it now. I wanna get off.” This tune reminds me of Angelic Upstarts, and it features a great vocal trade-off between Deko and Aoife. We are treated to a ska interlude during this song too, delivered in the way only bands like Paranoid Visions know how. “Humanity will destroy itself” they sing. Indeed:
‘Lend Me Your Ears‘ is a spoken-word piece, where Deko and the band are saddened and frustrated by the lack of empathy in the world today. “My eyes must be deaf. My ears must be blind” Deko says amongst the confusion and “I’m in fear that there’s worse yet to come”, more worryingly. ‘Opus Daydream 2‘ is a hypnotic, mantra-like song which brings Public Image Ltd to mind. It features some nice tribal drumming to soundtrack its defiance, where we are told, “A time has come for anarchy. A time has come for liberty.” This all ends in a satisfying wall of feedback.
‘The Final Furling‘ owns a funky bassline and some rolling drums, as it highlights the plight of racehorses. Well said, I say. ‘The Big Sea‘ is a hard-hitting poem about dealing with a terminal illness. Deko says he would rather face “the big sea” than deal with a cancer that “eats you from the inside”. It’s a great set of words that many can relate to, and another album highlight for me. The absolute jewel in the crown for me though, is aptly called ‘Rose Of Thorns‘. It is a slow-paced song on the brink of being a ballad, in perhaps the same way Nick Cave and Kylie Minogue did it. “I love your soul. I love you whole” they sing, as this melodic tune comes to a close. It sounds like nothing else on the album and it really is quite special:
We are approaching the end of the album, but not before we get to the penultimate song, ‘Fear Of The Known‘, which has an electronic intro and an Alt rock / Darkwave feel. “The fear is in the shadows, causing chaos in our minds” say the words, as we go into a rather catchy and almost whistling chorus. The album’s closing track is the excellently titled ‘California Screaming‘, which is mid-tempo, with more cool tribal drumming in the mix.
Paranoid Visions have produced a quality piece of work to be proud of, with ‘Subverse Reality‘ fitting nicely into their 5-album plan. I look forward to hearing the final instalment in this ‘Countdown To Pharmageddon‘ project! It’s an ambitious idea and very well realised.
‘Subverse Reality‘ is officially released on 13th November 2026 by FOAD Musick and Cadiz Music, and can be ordered as a box set from HERE, and double 10-inch red vinyl and CD formats form HERE. Get your digital download from HERE
Paranoid Visions have one more gig coming up to round the year off, at Morecambe Punk Festival on 14th November.
Main Photo Credit: RUTH RAE
(Please contact me for additional & hi-res originals)
1. Nuclear War
2. Cudda Wudda Shudda
3. The Gospel Truth
4. Disaster Zone
5. Lend Me Your Ears
6. Opus Daydream 2
7. The Final Furlong
8. The Big Sea
9. Rose Of Thorns
10. Fear Of The Known
11. California Screaming
Follow Paranoid Visions on Their Socials:
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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.
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