The No Marks / Hyalin

Split [7-inch] (2014)

Rich Cocksedge

Rarely has a split been released on which both bands were so nigh on indistinguishable. Seriously, I've listened to this many times now because it's damn good, but when I do so from the digital download I find it impossible to say which track is by which band (although this is made slightly easier as Hyalin do cover a track by Broccoli). Maybe it's because both bands include personnel from Blocko that adds to the similarity? I don't really know.

First up are The No Marks and this follows on from the band's debut album released last year (which I now need to track down). In addition to one member of Blocko the band consists of members of Crocodile God and The Down and Outs, so it's no surprise to discover that they sound very English. I'm actually taken back to a time when some of these aforementioned bands were tearing up and down the motorways of the UK delivering melodic pop-punk to every man and his dog. Both tracks offered up have their individual merits but it's "About Tomorrow" that really hits the mark for me.

Hyalin have two thirds of Blocko and two thirds of French outfit, Chestnut Road, making up their numbers. Given that both of those bands had/have a propensity towards melodic punk rock, once again the element of surprise is lost as the path most likely to be followed is the one that is to be heard. Please don't kick me if you think I'm missing something obvious but these bands sound a lot like each other. Hyalin's choice of cover, Broccoli's "Constance", is a great one and a perfect reminder of yet another of the bands that the UK should be proud of having been the home to.

If you like melodic punk rock that has an English feel to it then this is well worth checking out and as a bonus it can be downloaded for free from Brassneck's Bandcamp page.