The seven songs on the new release from Death Koolaid could be compared to the thought process of a straight jacketed inmate running into walls playing cranium bumper car. Death Koolaid’s music is loud, erratic, abrasive, screaming in your face with rude intent. Vol. 2 is a fast paced pit serenade to the speed of punk and the feminine screaming likes of Butcher Babies, along with Otep, Wendy O. Williams, Babes in Toyland and Eyes Set to Kill.
The four-piece’s collective passion for music reflects their individual origins bringing them together to make the glass shattering noise that’s captured on Vol. 2 and soon to bleed from various venue speakers. London, 2013, was the birth place or infestation for the female led group. In 2014 they released Vol. 1 with gigs to follow, amassing a following with beer flowing like adrenaline, whether consumed, spewed or cracked over heads to win over crowds.
For their early hard work, they were the first punk band to play Brighton and Hove Pride festival, in 2014. Along with videos for Emmeline and Kids they’ve released videos for The Second Rule and The Horrors from Vol. 1.
The Second Rule was nominated for a UK MVA award in 2014 and in June 2015 they won the UK Emergenza Battle of the Bands. This year they were nominated for Best New Band at the Pure Rawk awards.
Vol. 2 starts with vocalist Siren Sycho greeting old fans and new with a whisky lunged assault from first exhale to final screeching goodbye. Guitarist and bassist Roy Darkwater (Phoenix Dirk), guitarist The Crowman and drummer The Crossman deliver the noise and plunder giving her soul room to scream.
Mirror starts with an opening addictive bass line, punk riffs, hard edged like a used, unsterilized rusty razor, twisting down an unshielded face. YouTube video Emmeline spews horror punk with circle pit attitude, vampiric style with a bit of ‘80s retro while 20 Hours dips into Otep territory.
The songs are non-stop even the half-second pause between tunes feels like a smack in the face leaving the listener weary and unrecovered blasting into the next three-four minutes. There’s enough frantic fun and chaos here to keep the metal heads, hardcore’s and punks happy.
