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PREMIERE: The Nuclear Family prove they are the lords of Sydney punk on their sophomore EP

Green Day… probably the best band on the face of this earth. In fact Green Day are so influential they unquestionably had a direct impact on one of Australia’s best punk bands The Nuclear Family; not merely limited to borrowing their name from the much loved song The Nuclear Family, but also evidently influencing the band’s punk rock musical direction.

Front man of The Nuclear Family Jai Love-LaPan even says “Billie Joe Armstrong is my leading inspiration in life, I froth on him daily – his dazzling face and succulent lips cover each and every corner of my room. Some nights I lay sleepless gazing at my ceiling with brooding eyes drowning in tears, admiring my beloved Green Day poster which hangs above my bed, longing for the day our amorous paths will inevitably cross.”

The Nuclear Family EP

Staking your claim as the unrivalled masters of Sydney’s punk scene is no easy task, but The Nuclear Family may have done just that with their new EP.

Sorry to burst your bubble, but no. That’s pretty much all bullshit. Green Day don’t even slightly hold the torch as ‘the worlds greatest band’, nor are The Nuclear Family affiliated with them at all. The only truth to that entire statement was that The Nuclear Family is most definitely; irrefutably one of Australia’s best punk acts out today, leaving Green Day sobbing and dead in the water. That is not to be taken lightly.

Nothing makes blood run, gush or spill faster than a colossal barrage of punk rock directed into the ear canal. A one way ticket into a crushing demise. The Nuclear Family incontrovertibly delivers the latter. With an exceedingly impressive self titled debut EP under their belts for over a year now, the group have come out guns blazing with brand new material and a lengthy tour to bind it all together.

Their latest 7inch is once again self-titled, serving up four vigorous tracks drenched with fury – engineered to crush skulls and collapse all falsehood. The 7″ kicks off with the track Urge; a furious attack of vicious riffs and infectious groove. Your heart will jump an inch out of your chest as the adrenalin soars through your veins to the first chants “Somebody Kill Me!” – Urge is a joyful package of gritty riffs reminiscent of that Mudhoney punch with a touch of Pixies in the chorus. And oh boy the chorus is catchy as fuck, downright urging for a sing-along of “ooh ooh oooh”.

Milk & Metho is the banger to follow directly after. Featuring original bassist Grace Pogonoski on bass / vocals (now replaced by Penny Dreadful – from Piss Factory), Milk & Metho is a fairly addictive track with plenty of heavy riffage. The middle of this track has plenty of face melting guitar work and wild drumming by The Nuclear Family’s newest drummer Jason Kirrane – absolutely brilliant work here. Tight, tight, tight.

Sexual Tension Fills The Air” – I don’t know about you guys but something certainly filled the air during the third track entitled Crash – and it’s badass. Arguably my favourite track here Crash features some of the group’s most out there experimentation to date, going as far as featuring a rusty saxophone which sounds mutilated and disfigured in the most glorious of manners. The weirdness. The horror. Crash is superb, seamlessly crafting itself as one of The Nuclear Family’s best recordings to date.

Closing the ‘experience’, if you will, 381 is a total spectacle of torment and anxiety. Love-LaPan can even be heard banging on the door of the vocal booth after being tightly trapped inside for a ‘claustrophobic feel’. Now that’s commitment, and it undoubtedly shows. In many ways 318 may be the group’s most terrifying and heaviest song to date. Simply put… marvelous.

I would highly recommend this release to anyone who digs some 90’s style punk rock, as there aren’t many bands that can compete with these guys on that front. Here The Nuclear Family have in a odd way demonstrated the mastery of “keep it simple stupid” while maintaining that balance of excitement and passion to keep things exhilarating throughout. Furthermore The Nuclear Family have just come off their Australian tour with Sydney noise rockers Vaporized! blazing their way through Wollongong, Canberra, Melbourne, Newcastle and Brisbane. The Sydney show is scheduled for the 4th of December at the Chippendale Hotel, so if you’re around GET YOUR ASSES DOWN THERE!

If that’s not enough both bands have announced South East Asia tour dates! This is a huge deal for both groups and I’m sure they will be making noise across the vast and vigorous punk scene of SE Asia in the honour of Aussie music. If you do find your self in SE Asia this December by all means make your way down to a show, and experience a opportunity of a life time as the musical community of SE Asia is one of the best and supportive in the world! ENJOY IT GUYS! SPREAD THE NOISE!

You can support the band’s journey via Their Go Fund Me Page, any money can go a long way to help out with bringing them back home alive and nourished.