Great Britain, Is fucking dead. So cut our throats, end our lives, let’s fucking start again. So barks Frank Carter on Crucifucks, the final track of this, Gallows second album, and as a statement it couldn’t sum up ‘Grey Britain’ better. An unremitting, painfully intense indictment of contemporary Britain, you won’t find any hope here. Nihilism, despair and pain are the foundations of these thirteen tracks of dirt black, hardcore stained punk, from opener ‘The riverbank’s elegiac orchestration, through ‘Death voice’ steeped in apocalyptic imagery, to the aforementioned closing track.

Far from simply a parade of misery however, ‘Grey Britain’ is an incredibly visceral and immediate album, with inky depths lying beneath its hopeless message. Indeed it’s hard to pick out highlights, though ‘Queensbury Rules,’ a raging tirade about knife crime smothered in killer riffs, and ‘The vulture acts one and two’ where Frank initially surprises everyone by crooning over a mournful acoustic refrain in act one, before the slightly ‘abandon ship-esque’ act two kicks in with the tolling of funereal bells. To be honest, these standout tracks are fairly arbitrary; the entire album is packed with gritty gems.

Before the release of this album the hype machine has been going into overdrive, complete with viral campaigns, artistic controversy and more, but not only do Gallows deliver on their promise, they also blow away the highly impressive ‘Orchestra of wolves.’ The recording quality has improved manifold (not surprising considering the mounds of cash invested in them,) better conveying the sheer fury of their live performances.

Low points? Some people may find it too full on, with justification, and some of the politics within is simplistic, but c’mon. Do you buy an album for the politics, or for the music, (which showcases a level of musicianship and coherence far and above what they have achieved before?) I rest my case.

While not recommended for the faint hearted, the album is an ambitious and frankly awesome work, which practically demands to be heard live. You thought that they couldn’t better ‘wolves? Prepare for a shock.

Rating Out of 10: