Reviews

EP review: Year Zero’s new release ‘The Louder You Scream’

Fun, catchy modern Punk with a pinch of politics!

From the West Midlands, UK, Year Zero are the punk band for the 21st century, playing electrifying Rock ‘n’ Roll. The band have been together for 8 years now and continue to succeed within the punk community. They released their latest EP ‘The Louder You Scream’ at the end of April 2024.

Year Zero are:

Mick Kelleher – Vocals
Chris Hodgkins – Bass
Rob Stokes – Guitar
Tim Rogers played drums on this EP, but is no longer with the band. Their new drummer is Mr Steven Brain.

The EP was produced by Alan Bell at Stage Studios, Halesowen.

Year Zero 1
Year Zero - photo by Ruth Rae

First on the EP is ‘Little England’. This song is very catchy and people would absolutely sing along and dance to this! The beat is great, the drums and guitar start off the song perfectly. The band say that the song is “dedicated to all the people who get more upset about immigration than the government giving out huge sums of money to their mates for useless PPE.”

Next on the EP is ‘You Don’t Know’. Again, another catchy song for people to sing and dance to. Their lyrics are absolutely brilliant and full of truth. They state “In a similar vein, it’s about the government/politicians lying to our faces and no one seems bothered.”

Third on the EP is ‘Nostalgia’. Another brilliant and catchy song. It makes you think of the past and all the fun times you’ve had. Very upbeat and a perfect song to get your dancing shoes on for! “Looking back, the past is a nice place to visit, but I wouldn’t want to live there.”

Year Zero Mick Kelleher
Year Zero - Mick Kelleher = photo by Ruth Rae

Fourth on the EP is ‘Merry Go Round’. This song is another upbeat one. It makes you feel happy and excited. All the instruments are perfectly synchronised and make the song fun. “A celebration of how great music makes you feel.”

Year Zero - photo by Ruth Rae

Last on the EP is ‘Beach Boys and Bikini Girls’. This song starts off with a whistle, which is a great beginning. The band harmonise so beautifully together and the bass is very pronounced in parts. It’s about “not fitting in with the beautiful people.”

I had the pleasure of speaking to the band via Facebook, and they had a couple more things to say: “The meanings of the songs we do try to leave quite enigmatic, so people can put their own interpretation on them. We really want everyone to enjoy our music and live performances. We want to entertain people not lecture them.”

Overall, ‘The Louder You Scream’ is fun, catchy, and very true. It’s inspiring to make people think about things more and to be who they are. Very enjoyable and definitely a great EP to listen to!

Get your copy of the EP direct from the band HERE

Year Zero - The Louder You Scream EP
Year Zero - The Louder You Scream EP tracks
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