Vulkano – Live Wild Die Free

As album titles go, ‘Live Wild Die Free’ is pretty unambiguous. It’s also pretty cliched. Pair it with a band name that is essentially a metaphor for “hey look we’re crazy and might explode with punk any moment right now” and the result is a combination that risks being speedily consigned to the bargain bin. Which would be a shame for such an eminently listenable album.

Building on experience the Swedish duo accrued in their former incarnation as members of Those Dancing Days, the tracks are largely a collection of proficient post-punk songs with clear pop ambitions. A track like ‘Too Young To Die’ for example, is a master-class in the sub-three-minute grungy thrash. Driving riffs? Check. Furious drumming? Check. Bonkers lyrics? Check. And shouty chorus? Check!

While Cissi Efraimsson’s vocals do tend to lend everything the atmosphere of a freshly-bleached morgue, Lisa Pyk Wirström’s melodies and the varied and brisk pace of the album make it impossible to tire of proceedings. Besides, real flashes of inspiration and distinction like ‘Choir of Wolves’ and ‘Jungle’, are more than enough reward to take you through to the end of the LP’s thirty-one minute running time.

It’s clear then that Vulkano are a band premised on a sense of reckless thrill and excitement. And by all accounts, it’s in the crucible of live performance where this duo excels. But put on record, it all feels a bit lost in translation. Perhaps given enough time to settle into a slightly more musically stable mountain, Vulkano will be worth another visit.