Acts of Fear and Love by Slaves - Review

****

We are three Slaves albums in. You should know how it goes by now. Isaac Holman and Laurie Vincent, who make up the British punk revival duo, have always been loud-mouthed and straight to the point. The socio-political views saturated with anger that plagued their debut told us upfront about the entire Slaves concept. And that concept has seeped through perfectly onto the third album.

Acts of Fear and Love has the familiar yet somewhat charming aggression of any Slaves album. The distorted guitars mangled with the chaotic drums of 'The Lives They Wish They Had' show less political angst and more personal vendettas. However, there is a spark with this album that ignites it and sends it higher than their previous work. 'Photo Opportunity' sees the guitars slowed down to simple chords and the vocals softened as they tell all about the personal struggles with fame. In a similar respect, 'Daddy' is a witty observation of a midlife crisis. 

Slaves' message still rings loud and clear. Modernity sucks and we are all slaves to the system. And although they are looked at by some with scrutinising eyes, Slaves' widely opened eyes continue to observe the truth.