DEAD HEROES CLUB

Dead Heroes Club is a rare beast indeed, being an Irish progressive rock band. They seem to be a bit of an unknown quantity on ProgArchives despite the fact that their excellent sophomore album of last year, ''A Time Of Shadow'', was released by the top American label ProgRock Records to wide critical acclaim. The debut on the other hand was independently produced but I actually think it's the slightly stronger album, and it's certainly the logical place to start for those interested in the band.

Dead Heroes Club started out playing Genesis, Floyd and Yes covers, and although they are clearly inspired by the '70s prog giants, they also put me in mind of punk rockers Stiff Little Fingers. Like SLF, the subject matter of their songs is heavily influenced by their homeland's troubled history. The dark themes in the lyrics and the powerful nature of the music together make for a combination of real substance, like Guinness and Irish stew.

The opening song ''A Day In The Life of The World'' includes a reference to Wilfred Owen, the British poet tragically killed in action one week before the end of the First World War. If Owen is known for his realistic portrayal of the horrors of war, Dead Heroes Club should be hailed for their gritty descriptions of the ethno-political conflict of the so-called Troubles; as the band themselves say in their PA interview, ''a chaotic world of oppression, guns and tribalism will always feed the music''. Similarly, ''Sunrise On The Trenches'' concerns imperialism and the exploitation of ordinary soldiers during WW1 as mere cannon fodder. Their well-crafted songs are full of great melodies and riffs, but the lyrics are their real strong suit.

Outside of the Italian scene, Dead Heroes Club is probably my favourite modern band and I'm eagerly anticipating their third album which is due for release early next year. Check these guys out, they're good. Really.