Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes Go On a Tirade with Latest Album

Nothing perks up my ears and gains my attention more than the word “punk”. As a result I have reviewed albums by five different punk bands over the last year. Next up is British punkers Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes. They have a new album coming out on Oct 15 named Sticky. This is the band’s 4^th studio album since being formed by front man Frank Carter (vocals) and Dean Richardson (guitars) in 2015. The band also includes Tom “Tank” Barclay (bass, keys, synth, backing vocals) and Gareth Grover (drums).

Society tends to become stagnant and repressive. Punk music and culture is all about challenging the norms and authority of society. The western world has seen a majority shift to the right in politics. Punk artists are the one’s willing to stick their necks out and speak out. This is where Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes step in. The group rallies against injustice, the patriarchy, right-wing politics and toxic masculinity.

Most of the punk albums I reviewed in the last year were your classic punk with screaming vocals and raw aggressive music. Sticky is not your classic punk album. It is not just banging on guitar strings, but a rather more produced style of punk. The band combines punk, indie, and rock to give them their unique sound. Synthesizers and drums play a big part in the sound. The songs on the album remind me of ‘80s British new wave with punk lyrics and attitude.

“Off With His Head” features British electronic-pop singer Cassyette. “Patriarchal society is a plague; it’s a pyramid scheme,” shares Carter. “It has strict regulations regarding who and how it benefits and is unique in its ability to oppress people at the exact same time it benefits them. ‘Off With His Head’ is a scathing generalized attack on trolls whose only joy in life is flexing their sixth-form grammar and Proud Boy mentality with the same smug tact as both sides of the fence in Good Will Hunting. The patriarchy is the worst because it enables all men to exist in a greater quality of life than all women and children, and while doing so, it also organizes the men into an untenable hierarchy that excludes a high percentage of men. Patriarchal society is designed to support apex predators.”

Several guest artists appear on the album in addition to Cassyette. The band enlisted LGBTQ+ avant-garde artist Lynks for “Bang Bang” and “Go Get A Tattoo”. The later depicts the negativity of the news cycle and how we should just smash the tv and burn the news. The Idles vocalist Joe Talbot sings on “My Town” which is described by Carter as “a metaphor for our collective mental health falling apart.” Bobby Gillespie from Primal Scream contributes to “Original Sin”.

Two criteria I use to evaluate a punk album are 1) message and attitude and 2) song lengths. Is the artist challenging the norms and institutions? Are the songs less than 3 minutes, because punk is for those of us with short attention spans? In this case, Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes check both boxes with Sticky. Carter sings about the issues facing many in our society. He accomplishes this over a 10 song tirade that races along, coming in at 29 minutes.

Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes launch a European tour commencing on October 15 which coincides with the the album’s release date. Tickets for the tour can be purchased here.

Track List

Sticky

Cupid’s Arrow
Bang Bang (feat. Lynks)
Take It to The Brink

My Town (feat. Joe Talbot)
Go Get A Tattoo (feat. Lynks)
Off With His Head (feat. Cassyette)

Cobra Queen
Rat Race
Original Sin (feat. Bobby Gillepsie)

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Tour Dates

OCT 15 – CRASH RECORDS LEEDS – LEEDS, UNITED KINGDOM
OCT 16 – VARIOUS VENUES – LEEDS, UNITED KINGDOM
OCT 19 – THE FIGHTING COCKS – INSTORE EVENT – KINGSTON UPON THAMES, UNITED KINGDOM
OCT 21 – ROUGH TRADE EAST – LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM
NOV 10 – THE ACADEMY, MIDDLE ABBEY STREET – DUBLIN, IRELAND
NOV 11 – ROCK CITY – NOTTINGHAM, UNITED KINGDOM
NOV 13 – UNIVERSITY OF EAST ANGLIA – NORWICH, UNITED KINGDOM
NOV 15 – O2 GUILDHALL SOUTHAMPTON – SOUTHAMPTON, UNITED KINGDOM
NOV 16 – O2 ACADEMY BRISTOL – BRISTOL, UNITED KINGDOM
NOV 17 – THE ENGINE SHED – LINCOLN, UNITED KINGDOM
NOV 19 – O2 ACADEMY BIRMINGHAM – BIRMINGHAM, UNITED KINGDOM
NOV 20 – O2 ACADEMY NEWCASTLE – NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, UNITED KINGDOM
NOV 22 – BARROWLAND BALLROOM – GLASGOW, UNITED KINGDOM
NOV 23 – EDINBURGH CORN EXCHANGE – EDINBURGH, UNITED KINGDOM
NOV 24 – O2 ACADEMY LIVERPOOL – LIVERPOOL, UNITED KINGDOM
NOV 25 – MANCHESTER ACADEMY – MANCHESTER, UNITED KINGDOM
JAN 21 – O2 ACADEMY BRIXTON – LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM
JAN 22 – O2 ACADEMY BRIXTON – LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM
JAN 25 – TIVOLI VREDENBURG – UTRECHT, NETHERLANDS
JAN 26 – LIVE MUSIC HALL – COLOGNE, GERMANY
JAN 28 – SLAKTKYRKAN – JOHANNESHOV, SWEDEN
JAN 29 – ROCKEFELLER MUSIC HALL – OSLO, NORWAY
JAN 30 – VEGA – KØBENHAVN, DENMARK
FEB 1 – ASTRA KULTURHAUS – BERLIN, GERMANY
FEB 2 – MEETFACTORY – PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC
FEB 3 – NIEBO – WARSZAWA, POLAND
FEB 5 – DYNAMO – ZURICH, SWITZERLAND
FEB 6 – MAGAZZINI GENERALI – MILAN, ITALY
FEB 8 – RAZZMATAZZ SALAS 2 & 3 – BARCELONA, SPAIN
FEB 10 – LAV – LISBOA AO VIVO – LISBOA, PORTUGAL
FEB 11 – SALA CAPITOL – SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA, SPAIN
FEB 12 – JIMMY JAZZ DISKOTEKA – VITORIA GASTEIZ, SPAIN
FEB 14 – LA CIGALE – PARIS, FRANCE
FEB 15 – LA MADELEINE – BRUSSELS, BELGIUM
FEB 17 – MARKTHALLE – HAMBURG, GERMANY
FEB 18 – BACKSTAGE WERK – MÜNCHEN, GERMANY
JUL 6 – MAD COOL FESTIVAL 2022 – MADRID, SPAIN