These days everyone loves The Fall, but rarely has a band's rise to cult status been quite as lengthy, unpredictable and unprecedented as that of those lovable Mancunian misfits who went through more line-up comings and goings than anyone sane would bother to count. Martin Bramah, The Fall's singer until Mark E Smith's lesser guitar skills caused them to swap places, was, per Daryl Easlea, 'possibly the last true equal to Smith in the group' and, likewise, the longest survivor of the original line-up. Yet while The Fall was later famous for their legendary productivity, Bramah often went great spans of time between releases, releasing fewer albums in thirty-five years (under any guise). What caused HOUSE Of ALL to come together is something of a mystery; Bramah has joined forces with four other mighty Fall alumni: Steve Hanley (The Fall's longest-serving bassist), as well as his brother Paul Hanley, who drummed on what may be the best run of Fall records, from Grotesque to Bend Sinister. The three have also played together as Factory Star, for a brief period. Joining them are two surprise members - drummer Simon Wolstencroft, who joined the Fall around the time Paul left, and more surprisingly, guitarist Pete Greenway, The Fall's longserving and final guitarist who has, to our knowledge, never played with the other four before.
The album was recorded in a burst of intense creativity, displaying an energy and psychic impulse all its own, each member playing as sharply and with as much drive as
ever, around manic motorik grooves and a shocking lack of compromise.
Released: May 2023
Cat: PICI0050
Label: Tiny Global Productions
