JOHN
Nocturnal Manoeuvres
BRACE YOURSELF RECORD/PETS CARE
7/10
Guitar-drum duo reveal their intense ambitions
Formed in 2013 by Johns Newton and Healy, the pair’s musical vehicle has allowed them to explore frenzied noise rock married to cacophonous rhythms – and attracted the interest of Idles. Learning of this relationship is unsurprising after listening to their third LP, featuring as it does Idles’ own Adam Devonshire on the rip-roaring “Sibensko Powerhouse”. Opener “Return To Capital” indicates an alluring cinematic flavour that is not explored nearly enough. What’s in heavy supply, though, is invigorating punk/metal workouts and a burning thematic focus on modern political issues, delivered with appropriate levels of indignant fury.