This Stoke post-punk mob originally sent me an EP (not this one, I hasten to add) to review many months ago, but after writing a review the file became corrupted and it was never posted on PT. Since December the band have hassled us for a review (incidentally we’ve now changed our review policy because of this) and to pretty much keep them off my case, here is a review of the newest EP, ‘Breed The Bomb’.
According to the band’s myspace page they rank Million Dead and Refused as influences, and while there’s very little of the latter on offer, there’s quite a bit of the former – alongide At the Drive In and other off-kilter acts. I’ll be honest and say that Standard Issue aren’t as good as either band – they’re not in the same league, not even close. And while they do what they do to a competent level, for me it’s simply a case of take it or leave it – as ‘Columns’ plays from my speakers I honestly don’t think I’ll be missing out if I never heard from this band again. It’s chaotic and frenetic, fast and then slow, but it’s organised chaos, there’s no spontaneity or energetic bursts that make you stand up and go ‘wow’. And that’s what made the aforementioned bands special and what, ultimately, will keep Standard Issue to the UK toilet circuit.