Single Review: Idles - 'Colossus'

Britain's angriest band try a stealth attack tactic

Out of all the adjectives to describe IDLES 'debut "Brutalism" (and there are fucking loads; ferocious, sarcastic, thrilling, full-frontal- I could go on...)- one you couldn't attribute to it is 'menacing'. Only because their songs knew one attack mode; face to face, aggressive, head-on, brutal takedown. The songs slaughtered you in an instant- devouring you whole. That mode of attack can be fought against easily, with an equally strong assault. Which in a way deems the tactic useless and short-lived. Not a lot of longevity in a brief attack. However, if this new track "Colossus" is in any way representive of a new album by Bristol's finest, this next attack could be a whole lot more difficult to defend against...

The song starts with tribal sounding rimshots and guitars put through the "sex robot" pedal Josh Homme loves so much but altered in such a way that the robot is literally clawing its way inside you. Joe Talbot's crazy eyed vocals yawns "I am done in from the weekend/the weekend lasted twenty years" over what must be the hangover of the craziest fucking night of his life. The chorus creeps up on you slower, but once you've realised its hit you- no way is it leaving your skull. Heavier than it's predeccor, it relies more on guitars than the bass driven debut. And what guitars they are. Beaten with on an anvil rather than played with a plectrum. The song stays at its Sabbath-esque pace, but the brutality of the song picks up even more, with Talbot howling that somethings coming whatever the fuck that is.... Oh wait, it's a 90 second slice of authentic OI! punk music from the 70's. Because of course "Colossus" is a two parter. It goes and it goes and it goes and it goes...

Words by James Kitchen