Paranoid Visions formed in Dublin in 1981 and are Eire s longest-running punk band. Cryptic Cross Words is the 5th album that Paranoid Visions have released since their 2006 reboot. Add to this the multitude of singles and a myriad of historical re-releases and compilations and it becomes clear that Paranoid Visions are a band who are not content to sit back and relax or attempt to trade on past glories. Switching rhythm section and losing a backing vocalist in early 2014 gave the band the opportunity to form the perfect line-up and create what the band believe is best album they have ever made. It s certainly a more focussed and strategic release that relies on soundscapes and moods that co-exist with the various musical genres the band continues to dip into. But it explores these cohesively with production that has been described by one early reviewer as being crisp but avoids the sheen of the nu . Certainly this album owes as much to UK Decay as it does to UK Subs, or is more magazine than fanzine . Lyrically the album is tackling different subjects ranging from the Catholic Churches abuse of children, invasion in the Ukraine, sexual harmony, working culture and the voice of the downtrodden public on the verge of snapping. In the case of Anagram Sam the lyrics consist entirely of anagrams (Anagram Sam, he s one of those NAMELESS SALESMEN, his LIFE is a FILE of anagrams, he s the SENATOR for TREASON etc etc....you get the picture!!) whilst the album s closer, baNAMA Republic is a delicate slow building acoustic song spanning seven minutes and sung by Aoife Destruction detailing the fall of the Irish economy and the corruption that facilitated it.