What were once Drones morphed in Tropical Fuck Storm (TFS):a venom-spouting Aussie rock combo from Melbourne, Victoria.
The Drones, went on hiatus in 2016 so guitarist and vocalist Gareth Liddiard and bassist/vocalist Fiona Kitschin went tropical.
The band became a four piece with the addition of Lauren Hammel (drums) and Erica Dunn (guitars, keyboards, and other stuff).
The strident punk attitude comes with a jagged artiness and edginess. Many arrangements are seemingly driven by a mix of anxiety and anarchy.
They are not three-chord wonders.
The hyperactive energy has shades of Talking Heads (notably on Bloodsport).
How can you dislike a band that names one of the tracks Joe Meek Will Inherit the Earth?
The central messages regard the impending collapse of the world as we know it. The track Goon Show references “the golden age of arseholes and the triumph of disgrace” which is as accurate a summary of the state of the planet as I can think of.
The slow burning title track issues the chilling warning that there’s ”a village in hell waiting for you and ends with plenty of frenzied wailing.
The co-production with Michael Beach at the band’s Dodgy Brothers studio in Nagambie is deliberately very rough around the edges. They don’t do slick but this fits in with their acerbic style.
