Review: “II” by Feral State

It might be hard to believe but after a decade together that has seen them destroy venues with their ten ton hammer like fists of rage in pure defiance, Leicester D-Beat Thrash quartet Feral State have reached the nirvana of a sophomore album. Recorded, mixed and mastered by Ian Boult (Shrykull, Mage, Foul Body Autopsy) at Stuck on a Name Studios, it comes three years after their self titled debut, a record which was described in some quarters as the very definition of how Hardcore Punk should sound. Vocalist Joe Lander, drummer Marcus Green, guitarist, Christian Nurse and bassist Fran Feron have earned the right to upset the apple cart and go against the grain with their incendiary live performances leaving scorch marks on the ground in their wake. So can they once again capture that live energy like lightening in a bottle when committing it to tape?

The air raid siren serves as a warning shot before the urgent rampage of breakneck speed riffs and brutal roars decimates the ear drums with blistering opening cut “Concrete“. A demonstration of raw power that sounds like the engine of a newly repaired 1918 WWI Douglas motorcycle as it hits the freeway. The fleeting bass only introduction of  “Live in Fear” does absolutely nothing to prepare you for the Grind ‘n Roll style onslaught that follows, the rapid fire chord progressions from a smoldering fret board reduced to inducing two step madness in the final moments. Lander’s savage cries are those of a beast impaled as “Dragged Down” sees him spitting blood all over the microphone just to keep up with the restless and relentless drumming. There won’t be many listening to this with a silver soon in their mouth, so its going to resonate with everyone who looks out of their window and sees trash floating past in the breeze, homeless people on street corners begging for change and broken glass all over the road, who can’t help but feel like the world around them in a s*** show. Although it seems almost impossible, each track seems to hit faster and harder as the record plays out, the Hardcore Punk of “Constant Terror” good old fashioned fun. Its a no frills affair that’s loud and raw, very much sounding like it was recorded live on the floor of a rehearsal space as the band make their presence felt by slapping you across the face.

Crushing skulls without breaking a sweat “Ready To Fall” maintains perpetual forward motion as a seventy five second burst of violence that everyone needs to witness. It’s the kind of tune that they play backwards at the FBI headquarters just to make sure there are no hidden messages before deciding that its suitable for use on their sleep deprivation mix tape in Guantanamo Bay. Burning like wire, “Slow Decay” has a fleeting guitar solo that breaks up the savage assault on the senses because one pain can lessen another. Another anthem of caustic sonic abrasions and brutal barked vocals that offers flame retardant catharsis “Tranquilized” has urgent riffs flying in all directions from the very first second. As musicians Feral State know one speed and play fast and loose, disregarding any need for a click track as they make their fingers bleed. “Head Drill” is very much a moment of trephination, the buzzsaw guitars pulling, ripping and tearing their way through the ear canals of the discerning listener so quickly there is a fear of brain hemorrhage before the ball of razor wire that is “Scab” floats across the street like tumbleweed in the bowels of hell.

If the infamous Stormtroopers of Death did Black Metal then it would sound like “Bad Time“, a rampage through the backwoods with a shotgun, looking for the grim reaper who claimed your best friend and firing at anything that so much as moves. A white knuckle roller coaster ride over a flaming lava pit in the company of some individuals you want to burn, all you can do is hold on and pray they fall off. The nonstop thrill ride continues with the vicious little ditty that is “Nuclear“, the bass line purposefully brought forward in the mix so it actually sounds like a lead guitar before the whole thing bursts into flames of self immolation. False endings galore “Mold Ridden” is the sonic equivalent of a savage beating with a blunt object that leaves you wanting more before the bloodlust of “Survival Game” puts an evil grin on your face. All in all a purge worthy collection of savage anthems of rebellion that will reduce venues to rubble and crowds to a sweaty mess while being as socially aware and relevant now as it would have been in the early 80’s with its fast and furious ways [7/10]

Track Listing

1. Concrete
2. Live in Fear
3. Dragged Down
4. Constant Terror
5. Ready To Fall
6. Slow Decay
7. Tranquilized
8. Head Drill
9. Scab
10. Bad Time
11. Nuclear
12. Mold Ridden
13. Survival Game

“II” by Feral State is out 26th September 2025 via Road To Masochist