36 Crazyfists - Lanterns

I remember the first time I heard about 36 Crazyfists. I remember it being a very important and pivotal part of my musical exploration as a teen. I bought an issue of Kerrang! magazine that had a free CD with it. I used to only buy issues of Kerrang! if it had a CD with it because, well, y'know, more for your money and all that. This CD was called "Ripped" if my memory serves me, and I don't really remember the bands that were featured on it. Apart from 36 Crazyfists. "The Heart And The Shape" was one of the first tracks featured on this CD, and it knocked me for six. The blend of heavy riffing with melodic vocals was an immediate winner for me. Up to this point in my life, I hadn't heard anything that was so punishing whilst also being so catchy and melodic. And that guitar tone, so gain heavy and punchy. I was hooked. The next day I took my paper round money to HMV and bought my copy of A Snow Capped Romance, and my love affair began that day when I completely fell for the album. I've always tried to stay in touch with what they've released, but I haven't been as tuned in since Rest Inside The Flames. I felt the need to focus my attention to their latest release Lanterns, something I feel like I should've done a few albums ago. Let's see if the Alaskan metalcore mob have still got that punch.

Album opener and first single "Death Eater" is a huge statement. They haven't lost their edge. A marriage of heavy riffs, pounding drums, and that catchy vocal over heavy guitar work that I've grown to know and love. This is one of the heaviest tracks on the record, and is a definitive nod to their roots and how they sounded back when they first started. "Wars To Walk Away From" is packed full of grit and power, courtesy of Brock Lindow's vocals, showcasing the lyrical theme of a personal journey, learning lessons from the things that are thrown at you and coming out on the other side. "Better To Burn" is thick and meaty, full of groove and decoratively littered with clean tones, giving a nice contrast to the harder sections. "Damaged Under Sun" is another track that sound like it could've featured on an earlier Crazyfists album, effortlessly merging that heavy guitar driven sound with catchy vocals. The following track "Sea and Smoke" is the first appearance of their softer and slower side, showcasing Lindow's command of his vocal chords and his ability to write strong melodies. It feels almost like a ballad, stripping the instruments back in the right places and allowing the atmosphere to build and put the emotive lyrics at the forefront of the focus. "Where Revenge Ends" gives you a chance to regain your breath after the first 5 tracks, featuring an acoustic guitar and Lindow's raspy and gritty voice lulling you into the calm. Further on in the album, "Below The Graves" is a big chunk of classic Crazyfists with a huge metal edge, equipped with an enormous chorus and some very well structured phrases. The verse riff has an almost southern edge to it, really adding a nice twang to the the vocals. Album closer "Dark Corners" is impressive, too; a dark and brooding way to finish things off. Lyrically the album is an insight into Lindow's struggles, so it makes complete sense to end the album with this vibe and intelligently bringing a sense of resolve to the album.

The album is great. It's everything you'd expect from one of their albums, but it just feels like it's lacking something. The back end of the album, for me, trails off. The first few tracks are all concrete, full of memorable moments and sharp songwriting, but everything towards the end just doesn't pack that same focus. I almost had to force myself to finish listening to the album, as I began to lose interest past the halfway point. It almost feels like half of the album is just filler, which is a shame. The production of the record is great too, but it doesn't blow me away. If you listen to their older material and then skip forward to this release, there isn't a lot of difference, which probably has something to do with guitarist Steve Holt being at the helm of the production process. In places, everything sounds a bit muddy and gets a bit lost. It isn't all bad, though. The guitars do sound just as punchy and gigantic as ever, the drums are snappy, the vocals burst through the mix nicely too. It just isn't consistent.

There was a bit of chatter that 36 Crazyfists had lost their way a little bit with the last few albums. I think that this album definitely shows that if they had lost it, they're back on track now with Lanterns. Although the album isn't a start to finish masterpiece, it has got some stand out tracks and some really memorable moments. Lyrically and musically dark in many places, this shows a real maturity to the bands sound, whilst still holding on to all of the elements that made them great when they first surfaced all those years ago. Definitely worth a listen for old fans and new. Not their best, but still a strong album that deserves a spin if you're fan of any of their back catalogue. They're back.

D.S

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Frontierer - The Hairy Dog, Derby, 27/09/17

As time progresses, it becomes more and more difficult to make music that's unique. To make music that has an identity, and contains something that nobody else is doing. As more time passes, more ideas get used, and then a lot of bands begin to start sounding the same. One of those bands is not Frontierer. They sound like if Meshuggah, The Dillinger Escape Plan and Aphex Twin had a baby, and that baby was given lots of drugs. Their debut album Orange Mathematics is a mind-bending whirlwind of disgusting noises, heavy guitars, punishing and erratic drums and more disgusting noises. And I mean that in the best way possible. If you've listened to it and not wondered how they possibly pull it off live, listen again. Because I definitely wondered that. And so, I went to go and see if they could pull it off.

The Hairy Dog is one of my favourite venues in the country. Not just because it's 20 minutes away from my house and sells nice alcohol, but because the place is a community for music fans of every genre. It's got a lot of support, and as a result it has been growing and growing in popularity, bringing bigger and better shows to Derby and getting the residents of the city involved in what it brings here. The turnout was great tonight, with a good number of people here early to catch the first band. That band, Sobriquet, were very impressive for a young band. Packing heaps energy and the vocalist sporting a creepy and un-ignorable stage presence, kicked off the show with a bang. The music was proggy and tight with some real clever and catchy phrases, and showed great potential for them going forwards. Visually they weren't the most together band, all of the members sporting very different levels of enthusiasm towards the show, but with a little bit more focus on their delivery and unity I can see the Sheffield lads becoming way more frequent on the local scene.

Next up was The Predecessors, a band that I hold a bit of a torch for. I used to be in The Predecessors for about a year, tracking some guitar parts for the guys and contributing a little towards the writing process in some areas. My commitment to Skies In Motion grew on the run up to the release of the album and it wasn't fair to the guys to hold them back, so I bowed out. They replaced me with another snapback wearing bearded man, Roy, who's a perfect fit for them, and I was excited to see them play their first show. And man, did they kill it. For a lot of the members, this was their first gig in a few years, so they weren't just getting back on the bike; they were learning how to ride it again. However, it looked like they didn't need to do a lot of learning. It didn't look like they'd been away for a long time at all. They looked and sounded tight and professional, stomping across the stage and engaging in headbangs and windmills, whilst simultaneously hammering out musically complex and technically mental material. The heavy bits were heavy, the pretty bits were pretty, and on a whole it sounded huge. Nathan (guitar) is a musical genius, not just thinking of the riffs, but thinking of all the layers and atmospheric noise to sit behind those riffs. The bigger picture, as it were. And it translated so well to the live performance. I'm proud of the boys for making such a huge statement with their first show, and I can't wait to see them play more.

The main support, Derby/Nottingham based Taken By The Tide, never ever disappoint. But this show was something else. They were tighter than I've ever seen them before. They always have this menacing presence when they perform, especially with Phil (vocals) slowly stalking across the stage as he snarls at the crowd. But tonight, it was impossible to take your eyes off them. Every single note was so piercing and crushing, and the drummer was essentially a human metronome. I said in my review of the Loathe show at the end of August that having two guitarists made them sound bigger, and tonight cemented that for me. There was so much weight behind their sound. I can't explain it any other way than "it was so tight". They're just getting better and better every time I see them.

Lastly, Frontierer took the stage. I had no idea what to expect, but I predicted it would go one of two ways. It was either going to blow my mind and be insanely precise, essentially like watching the album be recorded. Or, it was going to be an incoherent mess, with no discernible notes or sections, just sounding like noise. I am happy to report that it was the former. They were insane. The set was unrelenting, never once slowing down or allowing the audience to catch their breath. The guitarists use so many different effects to create the strange and unusual sounds they've become known for, and I wasn't sure how they'd come across in a live setting. They sounded enormous. It isn't used in an over the top manner, it's used tastefully throughout all the songs, adding a sense of unpredictability and unease throughout. But mainly, it adds to the heaviness. All the weird high pitched effects simply made the heavier bits sound heavier due to the contrast. And Chad (vocals) was angry. So angry. His vocals were raw and gritty, remaining powerful throughout the set, not once sounding like he was running out of steam or struggling. All together, they were an absolute wrecking ball, and by the time their set had come to an end I don't think there was one person in the room that hadn't been hit by it. They were seriously impressive, and from the strength of the new material that they performed, they're only going to get better.

If you're a fan of The Dillinger Escape Plan and are as gutted as I am that they're calling it a day, listen to this band. They aren't exactly the same, but they absolutely satisfy my appetite for unpredictable, relentless and energetic madness. Go and check out Orange Mathematics, available everywhere you can think of. If you head to their bandcamp page, you can pick it up for whatever price you see fit. Even if you think that price is free. This album is a gem, and this band are only going to go from strength to strength. Give them your time.

D.S

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