MetalTalk Archive. 20 July 2016. “There never will be a band to come close to what the Sex Pistols did…” Pyn Doll. But the Barb Wire Dolls are taking up the challenge with their new album Desperate.
Barb Wire Dolls: Desperate
Release Date: Friday 22nd July 2016
Words: Sean Camerön
Being one of the elder members of the MetalTalk fraternity, I fully remember Punk the first time around and consider myself lucky enough to have seen The Sex Pistols, The Clash, The Damned, Stiff Little Fingers etc when they were raw and unencumbered by such things as sound quality and more distracted by gob, blood and anger.
It was a natural progression after that to morph into a disillusioned New Romantic before discovering Motörhead. Suddenly it all made sense, reassured by lead singer Lemmy, who said that the band had their roots in Punk Rock. I was home. And what a home it was becoming, with the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal in hot pursuit and that brave new genre ultimately engulfing all before it.
But what happened to Punk Rock? Well it became another form of Rock really, with bands such as Green Day and The Offspring becoming popular with teenagers across the globe. Now relative newcomers, Barb Wire Dolls are emerging as more than worthy successors, safe in the confidence that the backing of Motörhead Music provides.
Previously Barb Wire Dolls had received attention for their provocatively named second album ‘Slit’, which was recorded in a mere two days. The new addition, ‘Desperate’, took a while longer and “contains our blood and sweat” according to singer and Punk fashion icon, Isis Queen.
Released under the Motörhead Music label (UDR), ‘Desperate’ is full of rage and frustration that the band took from a debt ridden Greece when they formed in Crete in 2010.
They are presently touring Europe and have just announced a full UK tour (full dates below) and there is no doubt at all that it will be well worth experiencing the furious explosion that is Barb Wire Dolls as they rip the arse out of venues across Britain. You can get your tickets right here.
It must feel good for the band to be headlining their own tour, as Pyn Doll said: “We can’t open for a lot of Punk bands. Metal bands, for whatever reason, are less afraid of us.”
“I think it’s because they appreciate the power of the music,” said Isis Queen. And it does appear that the live shows are whipping up a storm with people such as Steve Jones (Sex Pistols) and Jello Biafra (Dead Kennedys) visiting their shows. Even Mickey Leigh, brother of the legendary Joey Ramone was quoted as saying: “Barb Wire Dolls are the most explosive and exciting new Punk band I’ve seen in decades! They are gonna change the face of music and save rock and roll as we know it!”
Now with the new album, ‘Desperate’, the band appears (on record anyway) to have moved from Punk Rock to Rock and it’s good, it’s really good and you can see the band members’ analysis in this highly enjoyable video.
The fact that a hero of mine, photographer Bob Gruen provided the photographs for the album hasn’t influenced me at all because lyrically and musically, ‘Desperate’ is exciting and powerful, mature and yet raw and determined. You know that the musicians are accomplished but still there is the pushy, brashness of youth. I’m seriously jealous.
Here is the official video for the first track, ‘Drown’, and I urge you to watch it. It was written by Pyn Doll, for whom it has personal connections. As a professional surfer he saw a man drown after experiencing a heart attack. The driving guitar is reminiscent of early Sex Pistols and the influence of Steve Jones is right there.
The album’s title track starts gently enough with a prominent bass line that accompanies Isis Queen’s vocals beautifully. The urgency that Krash Doll puts in to the high hat feels like an emerging panic attack and the whole song finishes in a crashing crescendo.
‘Problem Of The Poet’ is sung completely from the heart and in a genre where male vocalists are the norm, Isis Queen is determined to stay true to her own sex with no compromise, while ‘Heart Attack’ is the track that takes me back to the angry days of my youth. The wonderful Siouxsie Sioux would have been in her element singing this in some smoky 70s hovel. I can almost smell the combination of fag ash and body odour. I wonder if I still have one last pogo in me…
I leave the last words to Isis Queen: “Motörhead is a huge influence on Barb Wire Dolls because they don’t fit in any category, and that’s where we want to be.”
Barb Wire Dolls are:
Isis Queen – vocals
Pyn Doll – lead guitar
Krash Doll – drums
Iriel Blaque – bass
Remmington – rhythm guitar
Track List:
- Drown
- Surreal
- Take Me Home
- Heart Attack
- Desperate
- Blind To Your Misery
- I Will Sail
- Darby Crash
- Problem Of The Poet
- Rhythm Method
Several years ago, Motörhead (together with UDR Music) formed their own label called Motörhead Music.
Lemmy and the boys were concerned about where the support was for rock n’ roll bands trying to get a leg up, so they decided forming their own label would be the way to help.
They wanted bands to have access to everything they enjoyed, from production to studios to marketing to distribution, the full monty.
They even wanted their management, Singerman Entertainment, and their booking agents to be involved in helping talent get a chance to shine in the public eye.
In 2014, the band finally chose a few bands to support, with Lemmy insistent that Budderside and Others be on the inaugural Motörboat and that Barb Wire Dolls also receive the full support of Motörhead Music and its staff. Now all three will lead the charge for Motörhead Music in 2016.
This isn’t some fancy, schmoozy bullshit vanity label, and it never was. This is Motörhead Music and it will continue to follow the mission statement as laid down by Lemmy and the boys.
