Album Review: Hot Shock by Hotwax

Even taking into account the industry's desire for fresh facedness, HotWax are notably prodigious; just a few years removed from college, they've already established themselves sufficiently to make Hot Shock one of the most anticipated UK debuts of the year. What's more, their first LP is built on a bedrock of sounds popularised before they gained sentience: hooky bubblegrunge, alt-rock buzzsaw guitars, chunky 90s-leaning riffs. With the bitterness that comes inevitably with age, it's safe to say: they shouldn't be this good at this kind of music.

Full Review >>

It's somewhat unbelievable to think that while HotWax are still barely legal to drink in America, the trio have been offering up singles for the better part of five years now. Honing their brand of rough-around-the-edges rock via a slew of notable support slots and live shows in more recent years (opening for the likes of Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Royal Blood and Frank Carter), the Hastings-via-Brighton trio might still be relative babies compared to the stalwarts of the genre, but there's a real sense of accomplishment that flows through their debut. Clocking in at just ten tracks (and less than 30 minutes), 'Hot Shock' is a concise but hefty run through their take on punk-rock, with little veering from their mission to replicate their live presence.

Full Review >>

In case you've been living under the rock for the past decade, 90s alternative rock is still very much, back in. Hastings trio HotWax are the latest act to successfully lean into this aesthetic, having built up a fearsome reputation over the past few years on the live circuit. As is often the case with such acts, the anarchic energy doesn't quite translate to their debut, 'Hot Shock', but it nevertheless serves as a largely enjoyable opening statement.

Full Review >>