Clowns – Endless (Album Review)

Clowns – Endless
Released: October 20^th, 2023

Lineup:

Stevie Williams | Lead Vocals
Hanny J | Bass and Vocals
Jarrod Goon | Guitar
Cameron Rust | Guitar
Jake Laderman | Drums

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I’m always keen to hear new Aussie punk rock, so when the time came to hear a new album from Melbourne punk legends Clowns, I was more than happy to oblige. Endless marks album number five from this raucous group who aren’t afraid to get loud as fuck, while unashamedly incorporating as much of their various influences as they can, including a fair bit of 80’s-style metal.

The opening title track is the best example of this, bringing the band in with an intro that sounds like it wouldn’t be out of place on a Dio album, before kicking into ‘Formaldehyde’ which is a mix of driving Aussie rock with a cool thrash riff for the middle section.

Both Stevie Williams and bass player Hanny J trade off each other with an awesome vocal mix that’s ferocious and energetic. They take turns for the lead on ‘Scared To Die,’ while Hanny shines in the spotlight on tracks like ‘Thanks For Nothing.’

For guitars, we have some great punk chord passages and thrashy riffs for days courtesy of Jarrod Good and Cameron Rust, along with some killer synth work being incorporated on the likes of ‘I Got A Knife.’

That’s not to say it’s full-on from start to finish. I’m always a fan of a punk outfit that likes to be a little dynamic, and we get that a lot throughout Endless. ‘Sarah’ gives us a more subdued rock intro, while ‘Deathwish’ and ‘Enough’s Enough’ crank the metal part of the album’s style up a little, with some heavy breakdowns and Slayer-esqe whammy bar lead work that would make Kerry King himself proud.

‘Quicksand’ gives us an acoustic passage, just in case you needed a breather from the riffs, but brings in some awesome lead work that gives the song a good eighties Metallica’ vibe.

And then we get ‘A Widow’s Son,’ a track that had me thinking for a moment I had an ad playing, but is actually one of Clowns’ more experimental tracks. Containing narration from the ‘Casefile’ podcast, it gives us an interesting retelling of a Ned Kelly story with a cool soundscape provided by the band. Some might call it a weird ending, but I think it suits the overall vibe of the album and presents Clowns as a band that isn’t afraid to get a little different.

With a combo of classic metal moments and raw Aussie punk, Endless is a great album to get into. It will satisfy those already part of the Clowns fanbase, but I think will also succeed in gaining the attention of those ‘traditional’ metal folks who sport the patch-emblazoned denim battle jackets to every local gig.

Rating: 8/10
‍Endless is out now. Pre-order here.
Review By – Simon Valentine (@SimonValentineAU)