Album Review: Aerial Salad – Roach

Manchester punk trio Aerial Salad only formed last year, and after building up an impressive following through relentless touring, including an appearance at FEST in Florida, they have now teamed up with Wonk Unit‘s newly formed label, Plasterer Records, for the release of their debut album, Roach, that contains a dozen punk rock anthems that have a distinctly old school vibe. Despite the fact that as a general rule Aerial Salad are a band that don’t take themselves too seriously the album does touch on some serious subject matter, including depression, self-reflection and the reality of the struggles of modern day life.

 

From the opening chords of the Roach‘s opener, Habits and Problems, you can’t help but be drawn into an album that channels the finest elements from the last forty years of the punk scene, but this is no recreation of the past as Aerial Salad have also thrown their own style and youthful energy into the mix. Roach is a raw dozen tracks of near perfect punk rock, and when you take into account that Aerial Salad are all still either in their late teens or early twenties it becomes clear that they are one of the brightest prospects on the UK punk scene, and Roach is an album that underscores the reputation they have earned on the live circuit.

 

Aerial Salad draw from influences such as early Green Day, Bleach era Nirvana, Snuff and a selection of vintage UK punk rock to create a sound that is very much their own, the album embraces punk, ska punk and the ragged edge of the grunge scene to create an impressive debut album. Aerial Salad are a band who have firmly established themselves on the punk scene on their own terms, before they caught the attention of Wonk Unit vocalist, Alex Johnson, who signed them up to his fledgling label, Plasterer Records. Punk may have seen it’s fortieth anniversary come and go, but as long as there are band’s such as Aerial Salad keeping the original spirit alive then the future of our scene is looking bright.

 

Aerial Salad will on tour in the UK throughout November with Wonk Unit, their tour dates can be found here

 

Roach can ordered on CD via Plasterer Records here and digitally via Bandcamp here