Swansea’s The Arteries have been going since 2002 and while this is the first time they’ve popped up on my radar, I get the feeling it won’t be the last. This five-track EP is very good, taking influence from a hell of a lot of different bands and coming up with a catchy punk rock sound that stands up very well against many of their UK peers. I guess there are elements of the likes of Milloy, Strike Anywhere and perhaps The Mercury League, without really sounding too similar to any of them.
Anyway, this EP is classy. ‘Still On My Feet’ is an excellent starter with a fantastic guitar solo two-thirds of the way through. Guitar solos are massively underused nowadays, aren’t they? Miles Morgan’s vocals are top-notch throughout, perhaps at their best on ‘Billy’, while the guitars maintain their excellence throughout. ‘Stick to your Guns‘, not-so-ironically, sticks out at being a bit bloody good. The short of it is that The Arteries are a bit good, so check them out.