The Dead Class - 'It'll Damn Near Kill You' (CuatroKu) Released 16/04/08

In a world where Simon Cowell is a media god and even Andrew Lloyd Webber’s using the BBC to audition it’s quite easy to get cynical about talent. And so when you come across the real deal it’s very hard not to blow sunshine up their arses and pontificate like a rambling drunk. The Dead Class are simply the real deal. The Liverpool based trio’s second album ‘It Will Damn Near Kill You’ is a heady brew of punk pop with a dash of Celtic attitude and a side serving of humour. 

Thirteen may be a number associated with bad luck but these 13 tracks should bring the lads anything but. The bulk of the tracks were recorded at The Aiggy, where their debut album ‘Boo’ was produced. It’s all too easy to strip a band of their vitality but instead Jan Janu manages to hold onto the essence of the live performance and polish it up. The production by Phil ‘Otis’ Hartley (The Drellas) at Highfield Street Studios shares a similar train of thought. To use a colloquialism about penis size, ‘It’ll Damn Near Kill You’ isn’t all showers it has a few growers too.

Villy’s Irish lilt may make you question whether Jello Biafra was in County Mayo during the 80’s at times but he delivers the goods as himself. Punk purists might find the sheer range of material hard to swallow but punk is a state of mind. Punk’s about being an outsider and The Dead Class most certainly are outsiders as they share tales of suicide, cannibalism and schools blowing up with consummate charm. On first listen ‘Billy Blue Bottle’ stands out head and shoulders above the rest not only in terms of length but sheer force. Villy’s manic vocals are matched pitch by pitch by Ten Foot Toads and Kuba’s frenetic drums and bass. A bullied schoolboy reaches the end of his tether without remotely going down the ‘I Don’t Like Mondays’ route.

But nestled amid all this darkness is the touching ‘The Green Bridge’ which is full of underage drinking nostalgia and some beautiful folky touches and featuring slices of simply gorgeous fiddle courtesy of a guest appearance from Freddie Stitz. Villy has the ability to sound like an angel when he feels like it.‘ The Green Bridge’ may come across as more conventional than other tracks on the album, but it’s anything but ordinary. Trying to pick out the highlights of ‘It’ll Damn Near Kill You’ is like trying to pick out a real transvestite at The Rocky Horror Picture Show, you could probably do it, but it’d be pointless. There’s a different favourite with every listen thanks to the strength of the material.
 
You don’t have to be Jeffery Dahmer to smile at the line ‘You’ve got some hair on your arms, but I like the skin on kiwis’ in ‘Bitesize’. Cannibalism hasn’t sounded so cool since Dr Lecter talked of chianti. This black humour combined with a vulnerability and a devil may care attitude makes The Dead Class as rare as cannibal turned after dinner speaker Issei Sagawa. ‘It’ll Damn Near Kill You’ is high octane addictive stuff that may cause side effects. These side effects may include irate neighbours, disgruntled parents, a profound case of the ‘**** you’s and an inability to listen to anything else.