Fury 161
Demo

review by Ruth


Paul Flieshman has a reputation as one of the unluckiest people in the Manchester underground scene. His last drummer moved down to Rugby to follow a job last year, extending the gap between gigs (as well as the time before they could soundcheck). Now a revitalised Fury are hitting the gig circuit properly this time, accompanied by this demo out towards the end of last year.

Essentially Fury 161 is just Paul Flieshman and assembled musicians, though it's not meant badly. While Dominic Sandall and certainly former drummer Chris Carter are competent enough, Flieshman, is essentially the focus; whether you're talking about his keening voice with it's Kelly Jones (without the phlegmy after-taste) edge, his song-writing talent or his guitar-playing ability. Like a snapshot of the death throes of love, moving from obsession (Keepsake) to betrayal (What Would You Say) by way of drunken sex (Four Letter Curse), it's not exactly a soundtrack for playing among the daisies. Tainted's spine-tingling guitar squeals ripple up your back before shifting to stranded simmering guitar bleakness, while What Would You Say sees Paul's voice getting progressively more torn and emotional as the protagonist gets more and more descends deeper into agony. While there's the mellow verse of the previously mentioned demo track, and the uplifting bass groove of Four Letter Curse, there's an undercurrent of unsettlement.

The problem is for all the talent here, the label moguls have decreed that no-one likes scuzzy rock'n'roll, and as history has proved, Fury will be passed over for a more fashionable model. Until somebody takes notice, Paul Flieshman and Fury 161 are one of the best kept secrets in Manchester.

4/5