Frank (Just Frank) - Frères D'Armes

When I first heard Frank (Just Frank) it was at the Eleven Pond reunion show in Brooklyn about one and a half years ago. From the moment they started playing, I felt as if I was transported back to the 80's and seduced by the coldwave the French made famous with the likes of Guerre Froide & Asylum Party. Pour in the post punk depression of Joy Division and the earlier days of The Cure and there you have a large part of the circle of influences that make up Frank (Just Frank).

Frank (Just Frank) have managed to put out a steady stream of releases. The most recent is 'Frères D'Armes' CDr on Hidden Treasure Music out of Germany. The hand-numbered limited edition CDr (222 copies) is the follow-up the even more limited edition sold-out cassette version (100 copies) on the aufnahme + wiedergabe label also in Germany. The CDr may or may not still be available. You can go to the Bandcamp page to purchase the legal download. You can also order 'The Brutal Wave" CD version from Wierd Records. The vinyl version is sold out.

'Frères D'Armes' explores the next level in Frank (Just Frank)'s musical progression. Five of the six songs are in the traditional FJF style. The frigid guitars rip through the silence and invite our inner demons to dance. Besides the obvious influences mentioned above, FJF is influenced by the music and mindsets of black metal. Yeah, that's a little weird given how the band sounds. The founding members, KD and Anthem met as a result of their mutual love for black metal. There is not much here that makes you think of any kind of metal aside from the song "Sion". You can definitely bang your head to this one. Don't worry, the cold sounds are still present, with a heavier guitar trickled in to amp up the sound a notch or two from the traditional post punk cold wave approach FJF is known for. It is definitely an interesting avenue to explore.

All six songs are very well crafted. They mix it up a little bit with the guitars on "Sion" and female vocals on the last track, "Everything You Said". Its hard to pick one song as the favorite. I choose them all. I suggest you embrace the brutal wave that Frank (Just Frank) created and ride it all the way. Jul 24 2013