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MISCREANT: Complicated Characters

Miscreant seem to be wrestling with identity issues on this stylistically varied collection of hard rock, power ballads, funk-rock, sci-fi, modern riff-rock and even reggae-rock. The band is tight, maybe even too well rehearsed, with Chris Brebner displaying a powerful voice that hovers somewhere between pub blues and ’70s hard rock delivery. The ear-grabbing nature of some of the songs is undermined by a lack of determination to steer clear of musical cliché, choruses being the biggest offenders here. Opener Fight for Me is a mid-tempo M.O.R. rock showcase for a strong vocal performance that can’t quite save it from being undercooked in the writing department. The album abruptly jumps to slightly schizophrenic white-boy-reggae-with-a-rock-chorus of Hey Mister before things kick up a gear with some more driving rock. Later comes the epic balladry of the title track and a bit of a throwaway in Rhythm Child, which sounds like two songs sellotaped together. With track seven (Riot) Miscreant hit their straps as the good hard-riffing band they really are, avoiding the over-earnestness that occupies a fair chunk of their music. All the ingredients are here, just a few too many recipes on the go. •

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