THE ALARM – Equals (2018)

Welsh cult rockers THE ALARM return today with their first new album since 2010, presented in exclusive here at 0dayrox. Titled “Equals“, with all songs composed by frontman Mike Peters, the new record was produced by George Williams and features Peters wife Jules on keyboards / backing vocals, Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros drummer Smiley and guitarist James Stevenson, while The Cult guitarist Billy Duffy guests on the track ‘Coming Backwards’.

Mike Peters and his wife Jules are the perfect example of inspiring people as both are in remission after cancer treatment and they have registered over 170,000 people to the International Bone Marrow Donor Registry.
You could be forgiven thinking that with all this going on in their lives they would have little time for music. However they do, with an annual Alarm concert at the summit of Snowdonia and they are regularly on the road touring.

“Equals” starts of with a little electronic dance beat, yes that’s right dance beat, on ‘Two Rivers’. On top of this is the distinctive heartfelt vocals of Mike Peters and plenty of acoustic and electric guitar action, the latter supplied by James Stevenson (Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros, The Cult, Holy Holy).
In fact many of the songs on here use some subtle electronics to good effect, such as on ‘Thirteen Dead Reindeer’ which sees again the modern beats combining well with the rocking guitars and vocals.
With some bands, going a bit modern like this often ends in failure and disgruntled fans, not so in The Alarm’s case as they add these to their established sound as opposed to other way round.

The Cult’s Billy Duffy guests and trades guitar licks with Peters and Stevenson on ‘Coming Backwards’, a beast of a tune. Mike Peters’ has plenty of issues to share with us including an uplifting ‘Beautiful’ and ‘Peace Now’, which borrows a line from Pink Floyd’s ‘Another Brick In The Wall’.
‘Neutral’ could apply to many of us fed up with being told to take sides or declare a political stance, rather we remain true to ourselves and remain neutral.

Mike Peters and The Alarm still have plenty to say and we’d do well to listen. Great to see them back and “Equals” will keep fans satisfied for many weeks, months, and years to come.
This band always had ‘something special’ to me since I discovered them in the ’80s, and still retain that uniqueness that make them quite different and ‘so British’.
Strongly Recommended

You’ve seen it first here, at 0dayrox

01 – Two Rivers
02 – Beautiful
03 – Coming Backwards (feat Billy Duffy)
04 – Transatlantic
05 – Crowd Trouble
06 – Peace Now
07 – Thirteen Dead Reindeer
08 – Neutral
09 – Cenotaph
10 – Hell Fire
11 – Tomorrow

Mike Peters – vocals, guitar, bass
James Stevenson – guitar, bass
Jules Peters – keyboards , backing vocals
Smiley – drums
Billy Duffy (The Cult) – guest guitar

BUY IT !
www.amazon.co.uk/Equals-Alarm/dp/B07BZ4561Y
.