Shooting Daggers – Love & Rage
London punks Shooting Daggers have crafted one of the year's most ambitious and daring albums, unapologetically placing queer struggles and lived experiences at the forefront of their art.
Artist: Shooting Daggers
Title: Love & Rage
Release: LP / Digital
Year: 2024
Label: New Heavy Sounds
Shooting Daggers have been making a name for themselves in the London punk scene for a few years now. However, with the release of their debut full-length Love & Rage, the queer punk trio has officially claimed their spot as one of those bands everyone should know in 2024. Aside from its daring title, the record is both unapologetic in its message and beautifully constructed, marking a significant milestone in the band’s career.
Love & Rage kicks off with “Dare”—a relentless tempo and defiant lyrics that grab you by the throat. Vocalist/guitarist Sal delivers the line “Dare to feel alive!” with a sheer intensity that demands action, setting the tone for the rest of the album. Tracks like the skateboarding anthem “Wipeout” and “Bad Seeds” maintain that high-octane energy, pushing you to move, to confront, and to live without fear.
Lyrically, Love & Rage takes aim at misogyny, queerphobia, and all forms of oppression, but the album does more than point fingers. It’s an intensely transformative piece that pushes a message of solidarity, self-empowerment, and reclaiming your inner strength. On the standout track “Not My Rival”—originally released on a split single with Ukrainian grrrl band Death Pill—Sal boldly proclaims, “Give violence a chance” and “We’re the new generation that shakes things up / No more romance, we want revenge.”
That may sound angry as fuck in a G.L.O.S.S. kind of way, but what sets Love & Rage apart is its ability to combine the band’s aggressive hardcore punk backbone with moments of vulnerability and reflection. Ultimately, the album is about turning trauma into a driving force for creating a better future. “Smug” delivers one of the catchiest choruses of the year, blending grunge fuzz with soaring alt-rock melodies. Then there’s “A Guilty Conscience Needs An Accuser,” which takes the listener on a journey that begins with atmospheric shoegaze moments before building to a transcendent finale where ethereal guitars meet haunting vocals. “Tunnel Vision” is one of the catchiest songs I’ve heard in a long time and pairs perfectly with the sound of current Turnstile—a band that polarized the scene by incorporating poppier elements into their hardcore foundation. While Shooting Daggers are still far from such commercial success, they have created an album that’s on par with some of the most successful attempts at the same eclectic approach. I’m sure that Love & Rage is still yet to be discovered and appreciated by a wider audience.
Shooting Daggers have created a sonically diverse album that bridges multiple subgenres, from punk to alt-rock to shoegaze, while maintaining the authentic, socially-conscious message we love about punk rock. Love & Rage feels lived-in, rooted in real experiences, and fueled by wisdom hard-earned through past traumas, pains, and struggles. As the title suggests, Love & Rage contains a spectrum of emotions—gentle and fierce, bold and fragile, uplifting and enraged. A magnificent album like this should firmly position Shooting Daggers at the forefront of a powerful new wave of queer punk and we’re here to witness it.
