SINGLE REVIEW: Club Sabbath by Baby Strange
Are you missing alternative club nights as much as we are? Don't worry, alt-rock trio Baby Strange have just the stuff to fill that void with their latest single Club Sabbath made for the dancefloor of their legendary Club Sabbath night. Club Sabbath has been host to live performances and DJ sets from the likes of Rock Coven favourites such as Dead Pony, Spyres, and The Roly Mo. Baby Strange use their new single to bring the dancefloor to us as Club Sabbath encapsulates the frantic energy you can expect from their club nights.
The Glasgow outfit crash into 2021 as they unveil their new track, the clamorous Club Sabbath. The new song follows up from their last blaring single More! More! More! which merged post-punk influences with sarcastic, deadpan vocals and a roaring chorus that has been spinning around in our heads ever since its release back in October 2020.
Vocalist and guitarist Johnny Madden leads the band with his contortion-heavy vocals - the perfect juxtaposition of melodic and gritty. With a line-up rounded out by brothers Connaire (drums) and Aidan McCann (bass), Baby Strange are re-establishing themselves as one of the most innovative and uncompromising bands climbing up the UK rock scene. Since the release of their critically acclaimed grunge-esque debut album Want It Need It in 2016, Baby Strange have toured relentlessly, building a dedicated live audience who crave the chaotic atmosphere of their shows, and selling out venues across the UK, having shared stages with the likes of Frank Carter & the Rattlesnakes, Slaves, and Jamie T, proudly aligning themselves with some of the best UK rock talent.
Almost five years on from their debut album, Baby Strange have continued to grind away with a constant stream of new releases: from 2017's aptly titled EP Extended Play, to singles such as thumping, cynical banger Job in the City (Work for Nothing). Club Sabbath is the second single from their upcoming EP Land of Nothing, and brings the sort of heavy, pit-ready anthem that we know to expect from Baby Strange. No wonder it's so fittingly named after a club night.
Frontman Johnny Madden says of the future dancefloor filler: "When we wrote this track we instantly knew we wanted to name it after our club night. It sounds like it was made for a dancefloor. This is one of our favourite songs to date and we can’t wait for people to hear it."
Opening with a spiralling riff and exploding into a brilliant cacophony of punk rock, the track effortlessly strides to its peak with a chorus that is catchy as fuck, and we just know it's going to be eating away at our brains for months now. Club Sabbath has it all: vibrant riffs, fervent drums, distorted vocals, and a headbanging chorus that was born for the pit. When Johnny says it was made for the dancefloor, he fucking means it.
"We’re missing Club Sabbath more than ever right now," explains Johnny, on the influence of Baby Strange's alternative club night. "We started it in 2015 at The Priory on Sauchiehall St. in Glasgow and we’ve hosted some really memorable parties. It’s a community spirit with loads of like-minded people. We’ve had live performances or DJ sets from people like Fontaines D.C., Wolf Alice, DMA’s, The Chats, The Magic Gang, Nick Allbrook (Pond) and The Dunts to name a few."
Johnny also comments on the importance of grassroots music venues and their ongoing struggle during these unstable times: "The government needs to support independent venues during Covid or there will be nowhere left for new artists to cut their teeth and grow. It’s really important that small venues like The Priory survive through this for that very reason."
Upcoming EP Land of Nothing, which features Club Sabbath and More! More! More!, drops via Icons Creating Evil Art on April 30th. Baby Strange will be heading out on an extensive UK headline tour in June 2021 in support of the EP, with European dates to be added soon.
Land of Nothing Tour tickets are on sale here
Stream Club Sabbath on Apple Music and Spotify
Review by Chloe Robbins
Photography by Daniel Blake
