Bands who rally for justice and protection of our fundamental rights are vitally important to the scene when we exist in a time of such sinister oppression. Dropping at the perfect time, London-based queercore band, Shooting Daggers return after their well-deserved flourishing with passionately raw debut album, Love and Rage. Entangling elements of modern and post-hardcore, punk and riot grrrl, this album generates a smothering infectious sound while evoking a call for intersectional feminism, self-love, reclaiming our power and to stop giving a fuck about male validations.
Athames was a full-on assault, angrily squaring up to misogyny, calling out abusers and addressing queer struggles. The confrontational power heard in ‘Liar’ and ‘You Can’t Kill Us’ from their earlier EP has certainly been carried over to Love and Rage. Kicking off the album, ‘Dare’ is immediate evidence of this continuation, dropping into direct hardcore fury, while tracks ‘Not My Rival’ and ‘Bad Seeds’ overflow with feminine prowess. Here, the band call to “shake things up” and “break the cycle”, channelling jagged, 90s grunge with “cheerleader” backing vocals in the latter track.
Shooting Daggers convey a deep, positive message in Love and Rage, prompting a reconsideration of how we view rage, reframing it as a constructive mechanism to take action and push towards solidarity and societal change. This softer approach is echoed in the direction of the album, inviting more harmony and ballad-esque moments, as first heard in ‘Smug’, illuminating the importance of community, going back to your roots and how fantastic Sal’s vocal range is.
“Exuding innovation and branching away from stereotypical “angry” feminism with this fresh and unifying take on personal and societal issues.”
Love and Rage absolutely brims with creativity, effectively shattering the idea of what a hardcore/punk record should sound like with all tracks upholding their own distinctiveness. ‘A Guilty Conscience Needs An Accuser’ prevails as a phenomenon on the album, an utterly breathtaking track steeped in 90’s grunge and shoegaze influences that opens up halfway through to an electrifying ballad, making for a jaw dropping spectacle. Also evident is the range of influences Shooting Daggers weave in without overpowering the record. Flickers of Slowdive and Nothing can be heard in the aforementioned track, post-hardcore influences are present in the gravelly guitars and tempo in the title track, and ‘Tunnel Vision’ wouldn’t be out of place on a Turnstile or GEL record. Bringing the album to a close, Goosebumps-inducing ‘Caves/Outro’ delivers one last unexpected twist: being composed of just elegant piano and soft vocals.
Exuding innovation and branching away from stereotypical “angry” feminism with this fresh and unifying take on personal and societal issues, Shooting Daggers have created a truly empowering album that has the potential to be a standout release for 2024. Love and Rage is a repeat-worthy album that you don’t want to end, fuelling you with excitement for the future of this knockout band.