10 Punk, Rock And Metal Bands You Need To Hear Right Now
6. The Scratch
Rising from the ashes of the metal band Red Enemy, Dublin based four-piece The Scratch swapped electrified instruments for their acoustic counterparts to record the debut album "Couldn't Give A Rats".
It's an impressive debut combing trad folk with the power, drive and intensity of hard rock and metal. Whilst it's an almost exclusively acoustic album, save for the odd lead guitar flourish, every instrument is played to the absolute limit of its structural ability.
Imagine a band like Hayseed Dixie that takes classic tracks by AC/DC and Motorhead and turns them into acoustic reels and you've pretty much got The Scratch in reverse, writing acoustic songs that could easily be turned into full-on metal bangers.
The band also have a delightfully wicked sense of humour, injecting their songs with sparkling Irish wit and an endearing sense of fun that's often sorely missing from the folk and metal genres.
The opening reel of "Dollar Bill", the thumping rhythm section of "God Slap" and the stomping chant of "Seanchai" are all guaranteed to get you front and centre going hell for leather.