Slalom D release "I Choose My Own Way To Burn" via Serial Bowl Records

Sunderland punk band Slalom D put out their new album, "I Choose My Own Way To Burn", on September 11 through Serial Bowl Records. The record is billed as the group's most ambitious effort so far, pushing both their sound and the political and social message that has always run through their work.

Opener "Fascist Epidemic" sets a dark, foreboding tone, dealing with the fear of a return to the political climate of the 1930s and the spread of nationalist rhetoric. "Varia" follows with a statement on womanhood, a theme picked up again by "Medusa", written as a rebuke to anyone challenging equality.

Elsewhere the album turns toward community. "Harbour Walls" is a love letter to Sunderland and the people who live there, while "Cosmic Light" reaches out to listeners regardless of sexuality or pronouns. "Jerusalem", "Eagle High" and "White Rose" round out the tracklist.

The current lineup features Fe Duncan on vocals, Antony Bircham on guitar, Tony Lindstedt on bass, Ian Murray on drums and Lisa Lindstedt on keyboards, whose layers shape much of the album's atmosphere. Craig Macbeth fronted the band in its earliest days.

Despite operating in a local environment the band describes as hostile, Slalom D keep the streak of optimism that has always cut through their songs. "I Choose My Own Way To Burn" arrives next week.