I'll be honest , I cringe when I get the CD-R promo for review. You just know that 99 times out of 100 it's gonna be from a band with more ambition than talent.

But The Fake Exterior are, I am pleased to report, that 1 in 100.

The album opens with Intro -the sound of every big movie score you've ever heard all rolled into one. It reveals not a single clue of what is to follow, but its big and bold and magnificent . And what follows sound like ... Biffy Clyro. Come on boys, you're 'avin' a laff, let us in on the secret, it is Biffy, isn't it?

Because what you get is thundering rock - piledriver staccato riffs, a thunderous rhythm section and bunch of great songs mixing melodic sections with furious rock. And as self funded debuts on CD-Rs go, albums don't come much better than this.

As a debut it stands up pretty well next to Biffy's Puzzle - a well funded mainstream breakthrough album - the only shortcoming being a slight lack of variety.

Whereas Biffy have integrated shades of grey and pink into their sets, it isn't until you get to track 13 - .. And She Walks With Her Red Shoes, that The Fake Exterior demonstrate that they've got a soft acoustic rock underbelly.

But hey, that's a minor complaint. This is a great debut and fans of Biffy and the genre would be well advised to invest and enjoy.

****

Review by Pete Whalley