大象传媒

Fifteen years ago, one of the last great collisions of Brit culture took place. The techno contenders had linked up with the old punks to make savage tunes. Acts like Secret Knowledge, The Drum Club, Primal Scream, The Grid and the Sabres Of Paradise were all roaring, splicing and confounding. The Prodigy were in a similar zone but the finest example of all was the teaming of Leftfield with John Lydon and 'Open Up' - a sustained holler, full of dismay, spite and acute beats.

That's one of the sure references on the Alloy Mental debut. Martin J Corrigan writes the cranky words and cops the poses. Phil Kieran has the DJ nous and a cool array of samples while Danny Todd plays his guitar from the angular end of the class. They made their introductions a few years back with the 'Alloy Mental' track, a crunching steal from Skyhook, who in turn had pilfered from The Runaways and 'Cherry Bomb'.

Much of the album has that kind of swagger. 'God Is Green' hijacks some old Burundi drummers (famously nicked in the past by Adam Ant and Bow Wow Wow) and hightails it to another petulant place. 'Stick It In Your Neck' is a classic Corrigan recitation about a psycho looking for mortal revenge while the title piece finds the singer on the steps of the Winter Palace, victorious.

A dozen tracks like this would dissipate the power of it all. So while 'Gotta Love' thumps happily, some other tones are pursued. 'Seconds' is quietly amazed and melodic and 'Fortunate One' sounds like Depeche Mode back in the days of one finger synths and giddy choruses.

Altogether it's an inspired melding of Ulster rage, global electronics, adventure and fierce humour. Alloy Mental have fetched something unique from the smithy of their soul.

Stuart Bailie