Sometimes a little pressure can be a good thing. For Scarlet Rebels, the task of following up two acclaimed albums that crashed into the UK Top 20 and turned the Welsh four-piece into one of the most talked-about rock bands of the last decade was a challenge they were determined to rise to. The result is Scarlet Rebels’ electrifying fourth album, Flawed By Design. With frontman Wayne Doyle, drummer Gary Doyle, guitarist Chris Jones and bassist Carl Oag once again teaming up with producer Chris Clancy, the Llanelli band deliver 11 anthemic songs that combine the powerful with the personal. Flawed By Design is the sound of a band at the top of their game, from Wayne’s emotive vocals and lyrics to the powerhouse rhythm section and Chris Jones’ blazing guitar work. Yet there’s an emotional core to the album that runs even deeper than its arena-sized ambition. By the band’s own admission, it’s the most introspective record they have ever written. It’s that marriage of ambition, emotion and human connection that defines both Flawed By Design and Scarlet Rebels themselves. “I want us to be recognized for the depth of our material,” says Wayne. “I want us to be known as a band that writes heartfelt songs that resonate and touch people. We want to move people physically, but we want to move them emotionally too.” With Flawed By Design, Scarlet Rebels have done just that.
