Scarlet Rebels - 'Where The Colours Meet'

Having made a major step forward with their last album, 2022’s ‘See Through Blue’, Scarlet Rebels return in 2024 with their new album ‘Where The Colours Meet’.

This time out Colin Richardson and Chris Clancy hold the production reins taking over from Tim Hamill who’d done such an excellent job on the previous album. The result is a sound made for big stages as orchestras soar on tracks, and songs ride on a wave of synthesizers in places.

Worry not though the band haven’t gone soft. These are just extra dressing on an album that rocks hard from the outset. That is the first thing that strikes you as you listen to ‘Where The Colours Meet’. This is a rock album, taking its cues from the melodic rock of the eighties.

The album opens with a great one-two punch in ‘Secret Drug’ and ‘Let Me In.’ There’s a whole lot of riffing going on with these tracks courtesy of Chris Jones great guitar work and they make you remember how energising good rock music can be. Themes go from the elation a strong partner can make you feel in ‘Secret Drug’ to ‘Let Me In’ beseeching someone to give their trust and let you into their lives and their heart. ‘Let Me In’ is a song that has been around for a long time. Now Scarlet Rebels have made it into an updated anthemic updated version of the song with the production team bringing their own tweaks to it.

‘It Was Beautiful’ calms things down for about one minute. At that point, the drums and guitars kick in and the pace picks up. Wayne Doyle’s voice rises with increasing urgency as the track progresses. Chris Jones adds in a beautifully played guitar solo that leads into a drop and rise in volume that takes the song into a final rousing chorus. It’s got that whole big stadium vibe down to a tee and has the feel of a prime Bon Jovi track from around the time of ‘Keep the Faith.’

‘Grace’ is a song of positivity as she looks to move towards a brighter future, and she might take us with her and be our ‘saving grace.’ It suggests another American icon when you hear Wayne Doyle’s lyrics to ‘Grace.’ We could be in the America envisaged in a classic Bruce Springsteen song. We can imagine that Grace is a distant relation to Mary, who danced across that porch to Roy Orbison in ‘Thunder Road.’

Wayne Doyle describes ‘Declining’ in his album notes as raw and personal, going into the darkest places he visits when he questions his worth in life. It is raw but also, while it goes to the dark places, delivers a sense that there’s going to something better in the future.

We can draw breath a little with ‘Out of Time.’ This is the first of two songs that would meet the requirements I’d have to call it a power ballad. Elles Bailey co-writes and duets with Wayne Doyle on the track. The song is another raw wound of a lyric as the two singers twist a tale of love lost as the man failed to provide the time and attention that his partner needed, taking, and never giving back. It’s the most ‘blues’ orientated track. The added depth provided by some lush orchestration gives the song a fitting crescendo.

I’d guess for those who get the album on vinyl that you’ll have to take a moment to flip it over here, so we’ll wait on you. Okay on we go.

Wayne Doyle isn’t happy with the way of the world. ‘How Much is Enough’ rails against a world where governments seem to be there to line their own pockets, multi-nationals force prices of energy and food to go higher and higher and the decisions of individuals can wreak havoc with the lives of many. He’s not wrong though is he. The track itself is up tempo rising to a rousing chorus at the end and the lingering question of ‘How Much is Enough’.

‘Practice Run’ is the album’s second power ballad. Stolen by Wayne from a note Gary left on social media it’s become a pledge from the protagonist to do better in life.

‘Steets of Fire is another song that raises concerns for our futures. This time the concerns are more for the environment, how we live, and the damage we do every day to the planet. Building around a great riff from Chris Jones it lifts the tempo back up again and sets the tone for the run towards the end of the album.

Love is the focus once more with ‘Who Wants To Be in Love Anyway.’ Still stung from previous romances it sounds like the protagonist is doing their best to persuade themselves how fruitless it is to love someone. This is all set to a pounding drum beat and more of that excellent riffing from Chris Jones. Driving the tune along is the most prominent use of synths that I can think of on the album, but it’s more in the territory of how Muse use them as opposed to the Human League!

Gary Doyle gives his drum kit a good battering and drops an exquisite solo on ‘Divide and Conquer’. There is an almost Thin Lizzy type Celtic feel to some of the guitar playing by Chris Jones that drives and pushes on the song. This is an aggressive attack on the Conservative government and Wayne Doyle makes no bones about that. Far from the first act to share their views in their songs I’m sure this song will still rile some part of the public who’ll make a noise about it on social media. That said we live in a land of free speech (for now) and Wayne’s allowed to express his thoughts. This is a rousing rant and attack on the now ex-leaders of the UK.

Finally, we come to ‘My House My Rules.’ Thin Lizzy sprung to mind again listening to this track, and, on this song, that’s no surprise as it’s co-written by Ricky Warwick. While he makes no actual appearance on the track it has the hallmark of his sound all over it. I could easily see this appearing on a Black Star Riders record. Ricky Warwick should record so we have two version as Ozzy and Motörhead did by both recording the Lemmy Kilmister, Ozzy Osbourne, and Zakk Wylde song ‘Hellraiser’ back in the early 1990s. The song is about all those dues we must pay in life to try and get what we want. But guess what! The house always wins.

And that’s it.

Wales has a lengthy list of notable music acts across many genres. There’s the Treorchy Male Voice Choir, Tom Jones, Shirley Bassey, Charlotte Church, Budgie, Stereophonics, Max Boyce, Aled Jones, The Alarm, Karl Wallinger, Bonnie Tyler, Manic Street Preachers, Dave Edmunds, Roger Glover, Feeder, Shakin' Stevens, Super Furry Animals, and that’s just off the top of my head. With ‘Where The Colours Meet’ it’s time to add Scarlet Rebels to that list.

This is a great album all the way from Wayne Doyle’s voice and songs, Chris Jones guitar work, the sterling work of the rhythm section of Gary Doyle on drums and Carl Oag on bass guitar, the production skills of Colin Richardson and Chris Clancy through to the fabulous design work and packaging of the album by Holy Moly.

The highest praise I can heap on the record is that I was on the band’s website pre-ordering it before I’d even got through my first listen. Shame I missed the splatter version though!

'Where The Colours Meet’ is out on 16th August 2024 and is available to pre-order on limited edition vinyl, signed CD, collector's bundles and more at Earache Records.

The band will be on the road to support the album from October 2024:

Anarchy Newcastle Weds 2nd Oct.

The Live Rooms Chester Thurs 3rd Oct

KK Steel Mill Wolverhampton Fri 4th October

Cathouse Glasgow Sat 6th Oct

Deaf Institute Manchester Sun 6th Oct

Thekla Bristol Mon 7th Oct

Garage London Tues 8th Oct.

Crauford Arms Milton Keynes Wed 9th Oct

Rescue Rooms Nottingham Thurs 10th Oct.

The Key Club Leeds Fri 11th Oct