Even this is just a warm-up for Lies, Lies, Lies, a total flame-out of fury and frustration reminiscent of, if anything, The Wildhearts at their most cynical. This sprinting nailbomb is even more impressive in the context of far more considered songs, like Northwest Coast, a welcome side road of staccato stabs, funky groove and toe-tapping beats, and Dance To The City which cleverly takes you somewhere else altogether just when you think you’ve got it sussed.
The Virginmarys aren’t newcomers, but this is plainly their most important album. They haven’t so much continued to climb the walls as smashed the damn things down. Far from ‘never arriving’ they’ve done just that in shattering style.
Verdict: 4/5
For fans of: Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes, Royal Blood, The Wildhearts
The House Beyond The Fires is released on November 1 via Masochismo