The result of three EPs, over 200 shows and a developing penchant for the hostile and the perverse, Nihilistic Glamour Shots is Cabbage’s
debut full-length, if not their introduction to the world. The Mossley
five-piece have nurtured their dark, industrial post-punk with a
typically Northern grit and humour, and the result is exhilarating.
Dominated by anthemic choruses railing against a range of
establishments and supposed norms, whether it be social responsibility
(‘’Arms of Pleonexia’’), health (‘’Celebration of a Disease’’) or
symbolic public events (‘’Reptiles State Funeral’’), Cabbage
find their voices (shared between co-vocalists Lee Broadbent and Joe
Martin) in questioning convention. This perspective isn’t only visible
in their attacks; ‘’Perdurabo’’ delves into the life of Aleister Crowley
and the occult, whereas ‘’Obligatory Castration’’ presents a time in
the future where everyone from the Pope and doctors are subject to the
chop.
This fascination with the damned is enforced with a fevered breadth of styles, from classic punk, such as on the opener ‘’Preach to the Converted’’, to dashes of post-punk, indie-punk and Parquet Courts/Fat White Family-esque garage (‘’Exhibit A’’). The result is a fascinating concoction of menace and intrigue. The odd mishap, such as the extended ending to ‘’Exhibit A’’, leaves a little to be desired, though by and large Cabbage produces a sound that marries the hostility on show beautifully.
Not as mourning as the drunken howls of Iceage and more biting than Shame’s riling observations, Nihilistic Glamour Shots is a disturbing and wholly invigorating release. It's a testament to a fascination with the corrupt and the abnormal.
This fascination with the damned is enforced with a fevered breadth of styles, from classic punk, such as on the opener ‘’Preach to the Converted’’, to dashes of post-punk, indie-punk and Parquet Courts/Fat White Family-esque garage (‘’Exhibit A’’). The result is a fascinating concoction of menace and intrigue. The odd mishap, such as the extended ending to ‘’Exhibit A’’, leaves a little to be desired, though by and large Cabbage produces a sound that marries the hostility on show beautifully.
Not as mourning as the drunken howls of Iceage and more biting than Shame’s riling observations, Nihilistic Glamour Shots is a disturbing and wholly invigorating release. It's a testament to a fascination with the corrupt and the abnormal.
