The Chapman Family are an edgy, angry, politically charged band from Stockton-on-Tees, formed in 2006 and onto their 2nd album the sound is defiant, northern, visceral and uncompromising; a style of British punk-rock that’s familiar to early Manic Street Preachers and The Sex Pistols.
In some parts sounding like a heavier Wedding Present, and in no discredit like how 90s next-big thing Gene aped The Smiths, The Chapman Family are a dense cathartic wall of sound, their lyrics which are often polemic are scorned and cursed. Guitars are played violently, with references to the darker side of rock such as ‘Raw Power’ and Jesus and Mary Chain; tellingly ‘English Life’ ends very similarly to Marilyn Manson’s ’98 industrial glam joint ‘The Dope Show’.
While their cover of Morrisey’s ‘Everyday is like Sunday’ (one of the 80s best music videos and set in Southend-on-Sea too) transforms the track to a Leonard Cohen or Lou Reed dirge; its reminiscent of Cohen’s ‘Waiting for a Miracle’ from Trent Reznor’s Natural Born Killers soundtrack, and if their next album can take this kind of genius stroke, expect great things and a band that will be discontent with mainstream success.
Check out more from The Chapman Family at thechapmanfamilyisnotacult.com
*Image by Stella Vine for The Chapman Family’s live backdrop
- Ben Loom @stronglook