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Gallows

Who? To escape the grey-skied dread of Slough, England, vocalist Frank Carter formed hardcore punk band Gallows in 2005. Joining him are guitarists Steph Carter (Frank’s brother) and Laurent Barnard, bassist Stuart Gili-Ross, and drummer Lee Barratt. An unreasonably well-traveled mail van transported the fivesome to gigs all over their homeland where they stirred crowds into a sweaty, bloody fury, regularly upstaging headliners, thus leading to their debut Orchestra of Wolves,” which hits U.S. shores via Epitaph July 10th.

What’s the Deal? Say hello to the house band for your next back-alley brawl. While the wiry, heavily tatted Frank Carter shreds his vocal cords on caustic topics like sexual aggression, divorce and general class conflict (“Kill the Rhythm), the rest of the band lets loose with a churning, galloping maelstrom that only relents long enough to find a heavy groove and linger for a few bars (“Come Friendly Bombs”). The precision mixed with aggression has earned Gallows comparisons to Swedish politico-punks Refused — pretty much the last great punk band from anywhere — but there’s no Marxist revolution making here; just an unhinged assault that combines the best parts of the Bronx, Vaux and the Exploited. America gets its live taste this summer while the band takes over the main stage at the annual Vans Warped Tour.

Fun Fact: The crude gun tattooed on Frank Carter’s abdomen was his first attempt at laying ink, which has since become his other occupation. CHAD SWIATECKI

Now Hear This:
Gallows – “Orchestra of Wolves” DOWNLOAD MP3

Now Watch This: Gallows – “Abandon Ship” VIEW

On the Web:
Gallows at MySpace

Talk: How many stitches would you need after venturing into the pits at a Gallows show?

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