Rarely does an album make me go “wow” the first time I put it on. With slight apprehension at the thought of another electro-infused rock act (or is that rock-infused electro?) already causing my expectations to plummet well below ambivalence, I pressed play on 120 Days’ self titled album and was immediately hit with music that was not only damn good but was also seriously cool.

120 Days hail from Norway, a country famous for a music scene populated with different species of metal (from the church-burning satanic kind to the tongue-in-cheek make-up wearing Kiss-a-like kind) and the sort of dance music you hear on car commercials and air freshener ads. Yet, instead of finding common ground among their Scandinavian brethren, 120 Days channel all the good parts of Kraftwek, Suicide, Neu! and The Rapture, creating a sound that incorporates metallic sound scapes, melodic guitar and keyboard riffage with a touch of Nordic iciness. 

There is something in this album, which compels you to keep listening, a melodic propulsion that moves forward and takes you along for the ride. A cold noir element which evokes the steel and concrete landscape of the city. You can hear the lifeblood of youth culture scorning the mainstream sap of pop sweetness in the pulsating current of each track. With such a confident and creative debut, it is not hard to see why 120 days have been asked to remix acts such as Bloc Party and Justice.

Rating: 4½ out 5

120 Days’ Self Titled album is out now through Creative Vibes.