It seems that even music---that rare bastion of rebellion and a loud voice of change at that---has been lacking vitriol lately. Bands play it safe or follow trends, never really spitting on the masses with a glaringly outraged album about the state of things. Thankfully, Holy Armour from the Jaws of God is as far from such complacency as it gets. The latest from British political agitators October File, Armour rants and raves with a straightforward righteous fury largely lacking in today's political climate. Put simply, this is as much a call to arms as it is an album.

Just how powerfully does this call ring? The answer is loud but not exactly clear. Over the course of its ten tracks, Armour ricochets through a firefight of many different genres. Sometimes these songs nail the musical bull's eye, while on other occasions they shoot fairly wide.

The order of the day here is aggressive, politically-minded hardcore, with plenty of other disparate elements creeping in. Though the typical breakdowns, roaring vocals, and simplistic riffs are all here, elements of industrial's militancy ala Killing Joke, Ministry and Prong are on offer here. Though this is plenty odd by itself, the singing---which bellows and roars like outtakes from a Neurosis album---are extra weird too. Mix it together with the unrelenting social commentary of Rage Against the Machine and a slight tendency towards the OTT nature of the Dead Kennedys and one almost has the total picture.