Future Of The Left - Manchasm

The word ‘punk’ means many things. Before the 1970s, on the streets of San Francisco it meant a young hoodlum, a hustler. Punks, like lots of things need to evolve however, and the problem with a lot of modern punk rock is that it hasn’t.

When Future of The Left released their debut album ‘Curses’ in 2007, some were dismayed, others delighted, that the band had moved towards the occasional use of lead synthesisers to replace guitar.

The thing is, if you were a Mclusky fan, then you might have wanted Andy "Falco" Falkous, and Jack Egglestone (formerly of Mclusky), and Kelson Mathias (frontman of now defunct experimental electronic/punk act, Jarcrew) to just carry on in the same vein. Being true musicians, they were never going to do that though. Future of the Left’s sound is firmly entrenched within Mclusky’s unique tradition of hardcore indie music – but with a little something extra, and the little something is Mathias – his heavy bass sound and enthusiasm for electronics.

After the success of ‘Curses’, the band has emerged with a brand new single, entitled ‘Manchasm’. And it’s a corker, employing the new electronic synthesiser approach to full effect – Kelson’s now trademark hard hitting distorted fuzzy bass is the driving force, complimenting Falco’s distinctively harsh and political vocals. This isn’t punk, but everything that made punk good in 1970 went into this single – in the words of Tommy Ramone, direct pure and stripped down, no bullshit rock and roll. With synths.