Antlered Man may be a name that is somewhat unfamiliar to many listeners at the moment, but these tight economic times have encouraged this Bermondsey four piece to release their debut album Giftes 1&2. The uninitiated are of course wondering what exactly Antlered Man are going to be offering up as musical sustenance – well the safest statement to make is that you would be better leaving all sensibilities at the door before crossing the threshold into Giftes 1&2.

The breach is broken by Outrages 1 Ta 3 which opens up with the lonesome guitar melody provided by Danny Fury, Sam Ray then joins in delivering an accompanying regular bass pattern, before the repeated guitar riff encourages drummer Oliver Parker to join fray. The addition of some sumptuous strings brings back memories of a distant inbred cousin to a Kashmir-esque Led Zeppelin. Damo Ezekiel Holmes’ vocals are distinctive with an edge of madness. Outrages 1 Ta 3 then passively opens itself into a choral blend of Gregorian chant and Kasabian-like harmonies, before the whole track is thrown heavily into some rocked out music stylings that obliterates the vocals, leaving Holmes questioning “could 17 be the new 27”.

Try looking up ‘remarkable’ in the dictionary, you’ll may find an entry that reads

notably or conspicuously unusual; extraordinary; worthy of notice or attention

which makes a reviewers job so much easier as when Holmes chorally asks “lets get remarkable” on Can’t Beat Them, Try Solvents, the dictionary definition feels like a perfect summary of Antlered Man. The fact that Can’t Beat Them, Try Solvents sounds like Mark Bolan given the backing of a bunch of manically released musicians is a glam-punk riot in the making.

If that isn’t enough then for all those knowledgeable of Baden Powell, dig back into your psyche for the motto ‘be prepared’ and 'do a good turn' by embracing warmly Platoono of Uno. If you’ve seen the video (see at the end of this review if you haven’t) you will already be aware that there is a damning comment on the misogynist nature of man. The opening bars are reminiscent of Outrages 1 Ta 3, only on this occasion the vocals support the guitar with a softly spoken phrase. The rest of the band slam into this malaise with a ferocity that encourages Holmes up a few octaves that although not quite Justin Hawkins level are not that far away. The guitar slides along with the vocals before everything hammers home the message “I am a man and I want to be heard!!” The return to the opening softly spoken phrase, with the addition of drums just serves as a prelude to a guitar riff driven assault to the effective vocal styling that has been so sadly missed since the demise of 80s Matchbox B-Line Disaster, as the chant rises “what sick mother fucker would invent a man?” Platoono of Uno then runs back through a similar pattern, although by this stage we are entering the realms of unhinged musical territory with the pace only being temporarily halted for the slower repeat of “what sick mother fucker would invent a man”, before the choral chanting of it kicks in as Antlered Man lavishly bang the track into a conclusion. Some might get precious about the graphic language, but in context of Platoono of Uno it is brutally effective and as it knowingly won’t get national coverage, this one track is the one to fall in love with and seek psychiatric help afterwards.

Better the Calamity You Know slows the pace down and hints at musical influences from the Foo Fighters, although if you close your eyes Holmes’ rapid delivery of “better the calamity, better than the one you know” might be a nod to the rap stylings of Zack de la Rocha. The whispered opening of Surrounded by White Men is nearing spoken prose, although the line “daddy buys me anything, presidency, oil company” could be a description of many an American President, although the name George W Bush does spring to mind!

Buddhist Soup represents Flaming Lips given a crash course demonstration of the Cooper Temple Clause with all the electronica removed and if after listening to Buddhist Soup you aren’t whistling along to the open refrain, then presumably the tinnitus was a little loud the moment you heard the track. In fact Giftes 1&2 is so packed with hooks, that despite the madness of styles each track finds a way to embed itself into your cerebral cortex. There are of course moments that don’t quite work, with the happy chant ending to Buddhist Soup feeling clichéd, mind as the track featured whistling maybe the ending shouldn’t have come as a surprise.

Does your mother have sick perversions? Did your father ignore your mother’s molestations? If so Schizo Tennis could have been written just for you, if not then this is the darkest and most disturbed track on Giftes 1&2. Mr. Runner-up Teenage Bloomfield initially doesn’t lift the mood with its blackened homage to Adam Ant’s Stand and Deliver, but progress on a few minutes and the vocals become Antlered Man at their most soulful. Then there’s the final track Misruly Roo which, for all it isn’t as mad as the proverbial box of frogs, carries a heavier grandeur and a funk honed bass line that is incredulously infectious. The bass line sits nicely with the choral solo “Misruly” and the crowd response of “Misruly Roo”. The lads do dangle a little pause in to trick you into thinking it’s all over, before throwing themselves into a riff laden return.

For those thinking that music has lost its fun then pray be silent for Antlered Man. Giftes 1&2 isn’t a kitsch album as that would be denigrating for what is on offer here, the lads in the band obviously believed in themselves enough to release Giftes 1&2 on their own label Goo Grrrl Records. That belief is well founded and for once you’re going to be thankful about the recession!

Reviewed by Jimbo Walsh.

Antlered Man's debut album Giftes 1&2 is out on 5 March 2012, but available to pre-order now from their Bandcamp page.