At the outset, I know absolutely nothing about False Fed, other than that they were recommended to me by someone I trust, and that their art and song titles fit my established tastes. As a result, the dark, post-punk sound in which the band indulge takes me somewhat by surprise. Imagine The Afghan Whigs doing Fields of the Nephilim covers, and you’ve got some idea of the powerful, even soulful, music the band create. At any event, coming in cold is possibly the best way to experience this album so, if you fancy throwing caution to the wind, stop reading now and hit the links below (or here), and then come back and tell us if you agree with our take on it.
Still with us? OK, so a little digging into the press release explains the band’s dark and tightly coiled sound. Featuring Discharge vocalist Jeff Janiak, Amebix guitarist Stig C. Miller, Amebix / Ministry drummer Roy Mayorga and bassist JP Parsons, this malevolent supergroup draw from the sound established on Amebix’s stunning reunion album, Sonic Mass, and expand from there, with frequently astounding results.
A seven-track, thirty minute album, Let Them Eat Fake kicks off with the lowering menace of Superficial. Driven by the tribal thunder of Roy’s toms and anchored by JP’s bass, the eerie synths and tightly reigned-in guitars create a suitably gothic backdrop, against which Jeff can employ his earthy baritone. It’s a mesmerising start, and one that effectively introduces the band as a sonic force against the increasing oppression found at almost every level in modern society. That sense of rebellion boils over on the surging The Tyrant Dies, Stig’s guitar unleashed on a track that ditches the “post-“ to sit squarely in punk territory, although the chorus maintains some of the dark gothic atmosphere of the opening track. The bass returns to the fore for the darkly gleaming surfaces of Echoes Of Compromise, a haunting track with a strong Nephilim push that holds the tension almost past breaking point, before allowing the briefest moment of release at its conclusion. Another piece steeped in atmosphere, The Big Sleep employs spoken word passages, evoking the paranoia of advanced insomnia, before Stig tears everything down with a crunchy, palm-muted riff that seethes with violence. It paves the way for the tougher Dreadful Necessities, which edges in to Killing Joke territory, complete with a surprisingly catchy chorus. Comical allusion of the title notwithstanding, Mass Debate is a musically potent reflection on the increasingly brutal polarisation of society. With Ray’s drums once again providing a tumultuous backdrop, it’s a savage song, which Jeff delivers with maniacal fervour. The album ends, and all too quickly, with the subtle, nuanced The One Thing We Cannot Avoid. With spoken-word vocals, it provides the album with a dark coda that references the ravages of time and the ultimate end we all face. Yet, amidst the darkness, there is beauty, the stunningly beautiful music drawing a veil across the album, and slowly easing the listener back to the daylight strangely cleansed.
I genuinely had no idea what to expect when I hit play and I wonder how my perceptions might have changed had I known just who was involved in advance. As it is, I approached the album unshackled by expectation, and found myself utterly enthralled. Knowing, as I do now, of the Amebix connection, it makes perfect sense, and there’s an argument that this short LP acts as something of a spiritual sequel to the monumental masterpiece that is Sonic Mass. However, it is its own entity, and the band have found a secret weapon in vocalist Jeff Janiak, who’s as comfortable dealing in post-punk menace as he is feral punk snarl. Yet, while his pitch-perfect performance gives greater weight to the material, it is an ensemble effort, and all four members shine, not least thanks to Roy’s deft production.
A dark trip that echoes your worst fears about modernity, Let Them Eat Fake holds a mirror up to society, and reveals the ugliness lurking beneath the façade. To paraphrase Neil Young, it may not be the art we want, but it sure is the art we need right now. 9/10
