REVIEW - Sub-Justice (From Stroud News and Journal)

REVIEW - Sub-Justice

Sub-Justice The Trinity Rooms, Stroud Saturday, February 26

MY scalp is still tingling from this gig. I went to it expecting something interesting, having heard Sub-Justice on the Glos Rocks CD, but came away elated.

Sub-Justice have all the makings of a superb band - musically they are as tightly clenched as a boxer's fist, their lead singer is in possession of an extraordinarily powerful voice and they rock; very, very hard and loud.

Songs like Melting Ice and Understanding You have a quality of passion and sublime self-possession that you'd expect from a hardened, twenty-something touring band with a record deal.

It's hard to believe that the members of Sub-Justice are all under 18. In fact the only thing that really gives it away is lead singer Ruth Royall's coy introductions and the height of Hallam Robinson, the bass player. Not that height matters in rock.

Most exciting of all, the new tracks show that Sub-Justice are developing and expanding their sound. Puppet, with keyboard player Lana Robinson on surprisingly punky guest vocal duties, is a funky case-in-point.

There are rough edges to Sub-Justice but, by the end of their set, all traces of them have been hidden and Royall has half the crowd in the palm of her hand, dancing like she wants them to, an enigmatic smile on her face as she soars through the lyrics of the encore.

Catch them next time they play. In a couple of years they could be too big for Stroud.

Adam Horovitz