Follow up to last year's cracking debut EP, the Bishops have released an equally superb first LP!
Formed in 2021, Vicious Bishop are a punk, ska punk, and punky reggae power trio, based in the Lancaster / Morecambe area. The band features drummer Dave Nuttall (ex-Toy Dolls), bassist Adz Woods, and vocalist/guitarist Rich Davenport (ex-Radio Stars). Taking their influences from The Clash, The RuTs, Stiff Little Fingers, Rancid, 2 Tone, Ramones, Hüsker Dü, Dag Nasty, Bad Religion, Fishbone, Bob Mould, and vintage reggae, rocksteady, and ska, Vicious Bishop’s focus is on delivering memorable, uplifting songs with maximum energy.
Their 2024 debut EP, ‘Miracle Formula 168‘, showcased their raw, melodic sound to powerful effect, and featured guest appearances from Rich’s former Radio Stars bandmate Andy Ellison, Sham 69’s Dave Parsons, and Micky Geggus from Cockney Rejects. After two well-received sets with Andy at last year’s Rebellion Festival, and another at Morecambe Punk Festival, the band are back with ‘Raining Guillotines‘, their first full-length album.
Picking up where the EP left off, ‘Raining Guillotines‘ features ten high octane shots of punk, punky reggae, and ska punk, with hints of rocksteady and hardcore, all maintaining the Bishops’ dedication to crafting memorable melodies, and ear-grabbing arrangements. Lyrically, the songs touch on themes including mental health, grief, and trying to survive the rough stuff with your sense of humour intact.
Opening song ‘Lifeline‘ is a classic rocker about getting to the other side of mental health problems – it’s vital to ask for assistance when you’re struggling, and despite what your mind may tell you, people DO want to help!
Of ‘Take It As A Win‘, featuring Andy Ellison on guest vocals, Rich Davenport says “Any band that wants to survive in the 21st century needs a sense of humour, a passion for the music, realistic expectations, and a keen appreciation for their audience. The song is about how all those elements are interlinked. Despite rip offs, bad breaks, and Spinal Tap moments, I’ve had some amazing experiences and made lifelong friendships with musicians from around the world over the year in the bands I’ve played with. I’ve never lost sight of the buzz I got at the first gig I played when I was 14, and it’s still at the heart of everything we do with Vicious Bishop.”
The title track ‘Raining Guillotines‘ is about getting through difficult times. “You have to be realistic about how bleak things can get, but at the same time, there’s no point in just writing about that for its own sake and leaving the listener down there. I’ve been very thankful to have friends who’ve stuck by me during low points, and it’s important to pay that forward, so the song is about trying to do that, having someone’s back when they feel so overwhelmed they want to throw in the towel, standing by them till they come out the other side.”
Lyrically and musically embodying the chaos and pain of depression, ‘Shooting Myself In The Foot‘ is a bold and unique ska/rock fusion. The more classically ska-based ‘Drown In The Sound‘ sees Ruts DC‘s Leigh Heggarty lending his guitar wizardry to the track. Extolling the use of music to pick you up when you’re feeling down, it’s definitely a feel-good song! Crashing drums celebrate survival in the punky ‘Seconds Out‘ – “I’m down but I’m not beat” – a boxing motif runs throughout the track to illustrate its point.
‘I’m A Tiswas Kid (Trapped In A Swap Shop World)‘ is a fun and frolic-filled reminiscence of youth. “The song is basically about the fact that a lot of things that self-appointed moral guardians said were a bad influence on us kids when we were growing up – Tiswas, punk, 2 Tone, Marvel comics, Bruce Lee movies, and even Sesame Street – actually turned out to be far more positive influences for a lot of us Gen X-ers than any establishment figure you can name.” explains Rich Davenport.
“Dave and I grew up watching Tiswas (Adz is too young to have seen it, but we’ve indoctrinated him), so it was amazing to have series presenter Sally James on board for the video. In addition to all the Almost Legendary Pop Interviews she did, Sally was also the music editor for Tiswas, so we got to thank her for helping to shape our taste in music.”
Moving on to the theme of grief, ‘Lit Up‘ celebrates the life of a person taken tragically young, but who will always be remembered as a bright light. An optimistic rocker of a track.
‘Wired To The Sky‘ is another song about dealing with grief. Rich tells us “Two members of my immediate family passed away within ten months of each other, one elderly, the other far too young. The lyrics are about trying to process that and trying to find a way through it. The title comes from an experience one night when I was walking home and happened to glance up at the sky. The stars were so clear, it was striking enough to take my mind off the grief for a moment. Musically, the verses flip between punky reggae and a Hüsker Dü-influenced feel. There’s also a bit of early, post-punk era REM in the intro section, and some Who-style powerchords on the chorus. The Ruts/Ruts DC are one of my biggest influences, and Segs once told me about the way the late Paul Fox would use a delay pedal to get what Segs called a ‘dub rock’ effect, so I tried something along those lines in the middle section.”
We’re picking up the pieces in ‘Welcome To Whatever’s Left‘. It’s never too late to turn things around, if you’re willing to step out of the downward spiral. An impassioned plea by the lead guitar extends a helping hand. In a striking and contasting finale, the solitary gong sounds to end the album as ‘Dinner Is Served‘..
‘Raining Guillotines‘ may seem a depressing title, yet this album contains many gems of wisdom, and an overall sense of hope and repair through the catharsis of music. Once again, the striking cover art was painted by punk artist Paul Raggity, and features band mascot Stripey Horace.
Buy the digital album HERE, or order your copy on limited edition CD from HERE. Stream ‘Raining Guillotines‘ exclusively via the Vicious Bishop Patreon page HERE.
Catch Vicious Bishop live in 2026:
Friday 20th February 2026 (with No Agenda and Bard Company) the Bobbin, Lancaster
Saturday 7th March 2026 punk fest 10, the Blvd, Wigan (3pm start)
Saturday 14th March the Black Bull, Gateshead
May 22/23/24 2026 (day TBC) Sleazy Live, Johnny’s Bar & Warehouse, Morecambe
Keep an eye on the band’s socials for more tour dates!
- Lifeline
- Take It As A Win (featuring Andy Ellison)
- Raining Guillotines
- Shooting Myself In The Foot
- Drown In The Sound (featuring Leigh Heggarty)
- Seconds Out
- I’m A Tiswas Kid (Trapped In A Swap Shop World)
- Lit Up
- Wired To The Sky
- Welcome To Whatever’s Left
- Dinner Is Served
Follow Vicious Bishop on Their Socials:
Need more Punk In Your Life?
Album Review: Vicious Bishop deliver ten high octane punk shots in ‘Raining Guillotines’
Formed in 2021, Vicious Bishop are a punk, ska punk, and punky reggae power trio, whose 2024 debut EP, ‘Miracle Formula 168’, showcased their raw,
EP Review: NONTHEWISER call out growing darkness in this world with ‘Injustice for All’
Taking everything they love from the Californian punk rock scene of the ’90s and mixing it with their Scandinavian heritage, Swedish punks NONTHEWISER create fast,
You’re being watched…LA’s CRYMWAV unleash new single video ‘Speak No Evil’
The mood is dark, but the music and message hit hard, stamped with CRYMWAV’s signature twist on the classic rock sound.. ‘Speak No Evil’ is
Album review: Half Dizzy release sophomore LP ‘Yard Sale’
Long Island, USA’s gritty skate punk rock band Half Dizzy released their long-awaited full-length album ‘Yard Sale’ on 12th December 2025, via Punkerton Records. Epic
Aerial Salad, London Blondies Bar, 12th Dec 2025
Aerial Salad have serious balls. How else to explain them dropping a whopping six new songs into their set this evening? It soon becomes clear,
EP Review: SA Punks WORMS are ‘Legless and Grubby’
Joburg punkers WORMS released their first tidbit of grubby and raw Punk Rock slime on 5th November 2025. The 4 track EP ‘Legless and Grubby’
Usually found jumping around down the front at gigs, I also relish taking photos and videos, singing, speaking with fellow music fans, and asking musicians the questions nobody else does. Writing about my favourite bands and connecting with people who love music too keeps me more-or-less sane! I’ve worked for over 25 years at a video production company, mainly filming live music events, therefore I have an additional backstage perspective on the scene.
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!
