Sietse Willems (vocals), Yunas de Proost (guitar), Tim Pensaert (bass) and Simon de Geus (drums) have been touring almost continuously for years (there will be few stages in Belgium and The Netherlands where their sweat can’t be found), and if you’ve seen them perform – we did several times – you can’t imagine that they still have time and energy left to write songs. After several successful singles, of which instant classic anthem Naïef made it into the top 10 of my year-end list of 2022, they have now released their long-awaited debut album Decent Sex.
We’re talking about eleven new original songs by Flemish four-piece Meltheads that are as exciting as they are surprising. Expect a mix of raucous garage punk and dynamic post-punk laced with influences of psych and rock ‘n’ roll (as if The Stooges, IDLES, The Birthday Party and Herman Brood are fighting over who gets the most attention) – one moment dangerous and furious with impressive screams, a little later inviting and melodic with catchy sing-along choruses, switching between these extremes in between, depending on what the heavy but witty lyrics ask for. Not only do they want it all, they gloriously get away with it.
Decent Sex, produced by Bert Vliegen, is out now digitally, on CD and vinyl LP, through May Way Records.