Mark Vennis & Different Place are a rock band from Petersfield in Hampshire, and they play original songs, with influences from bands such as The Clash, Johnny Cash, Bruce Springsteen, and Paul Weller. Wild Suburban Boy is their latest single and was released on 22/09/2023.

With members Mark Vennis on guitar and vocals, Sean Quinn on guitar and percussion, Dave Sweetenham on bass and Brian Gee on drums, this is a band who have taken their influences and totally run with them, creating a sound that is an amalgamation of them all but with their own added spin on things thrown in too.

With a foundation in the punk rock, new wave genres, this is a song that really builds on its bases and takes on attributes from other styles of music.

Kicking off with some guitar work, the listener is almost lulled into a false sense of security, before the track erupts with some heavy guitars and raw drumming, the instruments really coming into their own.

With fantastic guitar breaks and solos popping up throughout the song, there are also some meaty basslines that, together with the energetic drumming, really hold the song together. The song flips between styles as it progresses, and the time and pace changes throughout always keep the listener engaged with the music.

The vocals are a little bit quirky, but they have all the energy of punk rock and are strong and powerful, totally taking control of the track, and with some backups in much the same vein, there is a great dimension to the song.

This is an awesome track that I am so glad I had the chance to hear and review. I will definitely be keeping my ears open for more music from these guys and am very much looking forward to the mini album, Small Town Vampire, that is due for release in January 2024.

This review is the property of The Metal Asylum