10 Best Debut Rock Albums Of The 2020s So Far
8. Speed Kills - Chubby And The Gang
People of a certain age (i.e. really, really old) will remember when pure punk music ruled the world.
Bands like the Sex Pistols and Ramones dominated the landscape in the 1970s, propelled by a young audience who were ticked off about pretty much everything.
The genre burnt itself out pretty quickly, but has survived in one form or another over many decades. One group determined to bring it back to its roots is London-based five-piece Chubby and the Gang.
Led by Charlie "Chubby Charles" Manning-Walker, the band has gone from strength to strength since their formation in 2019. They've toured America, played festival stages in their native UK, and released two albums of fast-paced, hard-hitting songs.
Their first record, Speed Kills, came out in 2020 and showed that there was still an appetite for young men yelling incoherent lyrics over rapid guitar chords.
Chubby and the Gang pay homage to the punk heroes of old without ever feeling like they're ripping them off. It's refreshing to hear the format stripped back to its most basic form, especially when this is done so well.
Like their stuff? Don't worry, they'll have released about 30 more albums by the time the decade is through.