Rat Cage from Sheffield are back with a new record. Not Asking For Much is their third full-length album and was released in August via La Vida Es Un Mus Discos. The album features ten tracks, with the band continuing to deliver raw hardcore punk packed with energy, grit and powerful riffs.
Rat Cage have been around for roughly ten years, and during that time they have released a fair number of records. The new album is another step forward in their characteristic sound, combining influences from UK82, Swedish hardcore and American hardcore – the band themselves mention names such as Appendix, Fyfan, Poison Idea, Out Cold, GBH and The Varukers. Some of those names definitely came to my mind while listening to the record.
Lyrically, Rat Cage once again focus on the reality of the world we live in, dealing with frustration, everyday survival and the feeling that we are living through increasingly darker times. And the music fits those themes perfectly – nervous, aggressive and constantly pushing forward.
If you like hardcore punk that doesn’t forget its roots but at the same time doesn’t sound like simple nostalgia for the eighties, Rat Cage are your band. This is exactly the kind of record you simply can’t listen to quietly.
