With the new Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes album End Of Suffering out tomorrow, I wanted to write up a list of some of his best tracks, but I’ve been listening to the same 4-5 songs for over 12 months and that wasn’t going to get me very far... The songs I listen to regularly resonate with me personally about things I’m going through and it got me thinking what other fans would pick as their favourite tracks so I asked members of the ‘Snake Pit’ for their help.
The ‘Snake Pit’ is a Facebook Community with over 2000 Frank Carter fans who love to talk about their favourite songs, favourite gig experiences, who has spent way too much money on all the vinyl releases so far (I won’t lie, I’m a bit jealous of their collections!) and basically all things Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes. There’s an amazing community spirit in this group that I haven’t seen before with any other fanbase, and sadly I’ve come across my share of fuckwit fans before at shows. These are diehard fans with hearts of gold and I wanted to share their love of the band too with some of their fav songs that new or old fans should check out before the next batch is released...
'Fangs'
The reason why I love 'Fangs' is because of how it treats its subject. Surely there are many songs out there about lust and sex but I personally never found them too appealing - where efforts by other bands may come across as too literal or vulgar, 'Fangs' steps into poetry territory by describing with painful accuracy and in less than three minutes a universal feeling: the nearly feverish feeling of wanting someone real badly, with every pore of your skin. Lyrics like
"And I know your mouth ain't one to trust/But I can't help but want to feel/Your teeth against my skin" or "And while the cobras dance/around your feet like you're a god/It only takes one bite for you to realise you are not"
also hint at the dark nature of lust, which is capable of overrunning any rational thoughts or logic in a sometimes dangerous way, making us victims of our own pleasure. The hypnotic, adrenaline-pumped guitar riffs and the piercing, fast-paced drum rhythms complement the urge-driven, hot-blooded vocals by Frank perfectly, and it all just wraps up perfectly how "it" feels - Rosario
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxK2dq705iE&w=560&h=315]
'Crowbar'
So personally my favourite song is 'Crowbar' and not just because I was apart of the music video. It was an amazing day being around the boys and meeting the other fans but that's not why it is my favourite song. The reason is I grew up in a very hostile environment within London e.g. gangs, violence, etc and you are kind of dropped into that lifestyle from an early age and it's hard to break away from it all. 'Crowbar' is not conforming to social norms and the social norm around me was to be a part of this lifestyle which I was not proud of being apart of and it was not who I was. One day I decided to break away from it all and lost all my "friends" who were basically my family as I do not have a good relationship with my family. You can imagine how that affected a 16-year-old kid and the dark place it drove me to. Through time I gained a group of friends made up of like-minded individuals who were also not afraid to express themselves and since crowbar was released it's been our anthem – Rhodri
Being at the 'Crowbar' shoot was a real honour. Genuinely felt privileged as we were allowed to be a part of the Rattlesnakes' latest creation. The band were so approachable and welcoming constantly thanking us for being there. Frank gave every take his all (as you would expect) and it was great being up close watching him work. The final scene was the highlight. It was complete chaos with us all moshing with the band having been released from our trance-like state by Frank's sermon. The atmosphere in that room for that final scene was incredible and left me buzzing for days. An experience I will never forget. For me, 'Crowbar' will always be about the memories of that day and to go on to see it performed live on stage was incredible - Chris Jupp
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dF16_JRFC08&w=640&h=360]
'Neon Rust'
'Neon Rust' has this magical ability to drag me out of whatever dark place my mind has taken me, and its something that I'm forever thankful for – Max
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLtlcaffJCs&w=640&h=360]
'Lullaby'
I have a friend who let me plug my phone into her car one day while out driving to play music. I don’t know if she regretted that choice later but when
“Sleep, where have you gone?/It’s been months now and I’m coming undone/I keep being woken by screams and tears/sheer fucking terror ringing out in my ears”
she decided that song was written about me. I had to let her know it’s actually about Frank’s daughter, but between my insomnia and psycho neighbours, they sure do fit the bill for that verse!! “We count the hours while we wait for the sun” is an every night occurrence trying to get to sleep in between yelling, screaming, blaring tv’s or music and the police or paramedics are here about once a week. I just don’t think singing them a lullaby will work though and sadly there’s no toddler years for them to outgrow – Kim
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDgekKQ8nLc&w=640&h=360]
'Anxiety'
Personally, I love the track ‘Anxiety’ by Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes. As someone who’s suffered from anxiety, consuming years of my life, it came as a strange mixture of relief and shock to hear someone put into words exactly how I’ve felt. Knowing someone understands how my brain works, and that I’m not alone, really boosts my self-confidence. Perhaps most poignant to me, is where Frank sings about the fact that people think he shouldn’t be stressed or anxious because he’s got it so good - a factor that’s played a significant role in my own story. This band really is something special - I’ve never listened to a group that really strives to make a difference, and aren’t afraid to take off the masks we all like to hide behind. I would urge anyone and everyone, if you’ve suffered from mental health issues or not, to listen to this track - it’ll put things into perspective – Robert
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_cJmSbMxjVU&w=640&h=360]
'Wild Flowers'
'Wild Flowers' - never have I ever felt as amazing as I did whilst crowd surfing to this song – Jasmine
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZhFjqgu36I&w=640&h=360]
'Beautiful Death'
For me, it's 'Beautiful Death', every time. With a song like this I think if you've had a devastating loss you form an emotional attachment, it's good to know that you're not alone in how you feel because well, misery loves company. – Maarion
'Beautiful Death' because I can relate to it a lot. It reminds me of my mum, my grandparents and good friends all passed away. Love the emotion in the song especially when its screamed, still an awesome song when he sings it too but prefer it angry and raw – Gavin
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EwPF5oUYH8&w=640&h=360]
'I Hate You'
You are nothing, You are nothing to meYou’re a useless fucking cunt you are nothing to meI don’t ever want to feel like anything I do
Ever had a fucking resonance or meant a thing to you
This opening has to be the best start to a song of all time. We all have that one person (maybe more) in our lives that we just really fucking hate for whatever reason. They stabbed you in the back, hurt you in some way or maybe they just really get on your last nerve for simply existing. You wouldn’t think twice about unplugging their life support to charge your phone. You want to
“hit them with the force of an asteroid from space, I wanna fall out of the sky right into your stupid face”.
This song sums up my feelings about some people in my life perfectly especially the line “You think you’re funny and your clever but you’re just a disgrace”. I even set it to be someone’s ringtone so I know when to ignore my phone. That hate is strong with this one – AnakinSkywalker
What did you think of the list? Any tracks missing that you absolutely LOVE from the guys? Tell us below or on our social media pages and get keen for the new Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes album End of Suffering out tomorrow (pre-order here).
Written by Kim Anderson (@stwwphoto)
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1AYhumuoxM&w=853&h=480]
