SINGLE REVIEW // Sequoia Throne - Shattered Youth

Sequoia Throne, a group of 5 metalheads from Northampton, have been sat on some stuff for a while. Maintaining a blank canvas on their Facebook page, there is an air of mystery to the quintet, no one knowing what they sound like. I mean, we don't even know what they look like. We do, however, know their names. We know that they're fans of In Hearts Wake, Wage War and Erra. And we know their gameplan; "to bring their raw and aggressive music across the UK with the upcoming release of their debut single". That single is called 'Shattered Youth', and I've been lucky enough to check this out ahead of it's release.

Firstly, the production on this is great. Everything is nice and clear, never sounding like it's over distorted or muddy. Clear, almost glassy production kind of goes hand in hand with this kind of genre, and these lads have got that feel straight off the bat. The guitar tone is nicely balanced; it really has some muscle behind it and sits beside the bass nicely, giving it some extra weight. The track is full to the brim with riffs, with the In Hearts Wake influence being very noticeable. Some of the riffs have even ended up sounding like something the Aussie kings would have written themselves. They're bouncy, they aren't predictable, and they're most definitely worthy of a headbang, the ultimate sign of approval. The breakdowns are tasty, too. Generous scoops of chug, evenly spread out, sprinkled with some venomous guttural vocals and atmospheric drones to taste. The vocalists also put on a good display, merging two very different styles of vocal. The screams sound a lot like Frankie Palmeri of Emmure in places, exerting a real rawness and anger into the delivery. The cleans provided by Jake Barnes (the fella that produced the single), on the other hand, remind me of A Skylit Drive, featuring soaring high pitched melodies and showcasing great vocal control. All the ingredients for a great song are there. I just feel like it's two different songs. The chorus sections when compared to the rest of the track almost sound like they belong somewhere else, reminding me of a more Lacuna Coil style of metal. Don't get me wrong, the chorus is great, the chords are enormous and not overly complicated which really allows the vocals to take centre stage. It's just as a section, it feels like it belongs elsewhere. This could've been the intention though, for all I know, they are a mysterious bunch after all. If they did it on purpose, ignore what I've said, they've nailed it! 

All in all, this song is a great first example of what these guys are capable of. It shows great promise, especially in the riff writing, and if they continue to hone in on their formula I don't doubt they'll start doing the rounds on the UK scene. If you're a fan of early In Hearts Wake, you dig catchy choruses and you can't resist a solid breakdown, I'm almost certain you'll be a fan of Sequoia Throne. The track is released on October 20th. If you want the mystery to become less mysterious, head over to their Facebook page and make sure you follow all their updates. Northampton is about to get a lot louder.

Prophets Of Rage - Prophets Of Rage

The term "supergroup" is becoming more and more popular in music today. When a collection of established and well known musicians all join together to make what is often music we aren't used to hearing from them, it tantalises our musical taste buds and gets us excited to hear what the chemistry creates. Over the last few years we've seen the likes of Them Crooked Vultures (Foo Fighters, Queens Of The Stone Age, Led Zeppelin), The Damned Things (Every Time I Die, Anthrax, Fall Out Boy), Giraffe Tongue Orchestra (Alice In Chains, Mastodon, The Dillinger Escape Plan) and Hellyeah (Pantera, Mudvayne, Nothingface) to name a few. Recently, a new name has surfaced in the supergroup world. One that is turning heads and creating an awful lot of buzz. And that name is Prophets Of Rage; a musical marriage of metal legends Rage Against The Machine and hip hop pioneers Public Enemy and Cypress Hill. After a few years of shows and festival appearances, they've finally dropped their debut self titled album. Does it live up to the hype?

It's no secret that Tom Morello, Tim Commerford and Brad Wilks are fans of hip hop and rap. I mean, Rage Against The Machine were the first band that really hit the mainstream to blend the two genres, so there was no doubt that this combination of musicians was going to work. Tracks like "Unfuck The World", "Hail To The Chief" and "Who Owns Who" and "Smashit" all sound like they could've been on one of the old Rage albums. They've picked up where they left off. Morello's signature single string riffs are just as meaty and catchy as ever, with Commerford and Wilks backing them up and pushing them even deeper into your ears. Lyrically the songs are just as politically charged as Zack's lyrics were, with attacks at the White House and the government, drones and also lyrics that are directed at law enforcement. Their delivery is powerful and compelling, with Chuck D and B Real demonstrating that they haven't lost their touch in the slightest. "Radical Eyes" sounds like a heavier Public Enemy song, with Chuck D's vocal perfectly blending in with the riffs. "Take Me Higher" is a funk influenced, old school hip hop sounding track, and is probably the most unique sounding song on the record. "Legalize Me" is the only track to feature singing, courtesy of B Real, and is surprisingly catchy. Tom Morello has an ability to write memorable riffs, and with a catchy vocal hook over the top it makes this song difficult to not like. There's a lot of good material here, for sure. But does it hit the mark? Yes and no. I mean don't get me wrong, the album is great and it features everything you'd expect from these guys joining forces; there's just something missing. I remember the first time I heard Audioslave and being completely blown away by how well Rage's music and riffage fitted with the late Chris Cornell's voice, and I was hooked. The first time I heard this, I was impressed, but I wasn't blown away. Maybe it's the Rage Against The Machine fan in me telling me that Zack De La Rocha did it better. There is a lot to love here, and the material translates into a sonic wrecking ball when performed live. It just isn't groundbreaking.

If you loved Public Enemy and Cypress Hill, you'll find something that you love here. If you loved Rage Against The Machine and Audioslave, you'll also find something that you love here. Everything that is great about all these artists is included in this album, showing that they clearly haven't slowed down or lost any of their edge. If you're expecting to be blown away, though, you may find yourself slightly disappointed. This album is good, but it isn't reinventing the wheel. It's just setting the wheel back in motion. If that wheel goes anywhere near where you live, though, go and check it out. These guys are insane live. If you can check them out, make sure you do.

D.S

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Mastodon - Cold Dark Place

If metal is your cup of tea and you have ears that have been functioning well over the last 15 years or so, the chances are pretty high that you know who Mastodon are. The 4 piece, hailing from Atlanta, Georgia, have been going from strength to strength ever since the release of their debut Remission in 2002, managing to find their identity very early on and set themselves apart from the pack. They've become one of those bands where if you hear one of their riffs or licks, you know it's Mastodon. Over the course of their career, they've written songs about a giant whale, mythical creatures, deadly monsters, astral travel and desert survival. Written during the recording sessions for their last 2 albums, Cold Dark Place adds another concept to their arsenal, but contains a very personal twist. The cold dark place is Brent Hinds head and heart, and the EP is about "the concept of living and how much it hurts to f*cking be alive".

This EP was entirely written by Hinds, and musically it's quite clear that he's at the very core of the Mastodon writing process. He has a knack for writing really beautiful yet haunting passages, and this is immediately noticeable on EP opener "North Side Star". The songs features a 13 string pedal steel guitar, an instrument that's notoriously difficult to master (unless you're Brent Hinds, apparently). It adds real depth to the atmosphere of the track, setting the tone for what's about to happen before the vocals even have chance to kick in. The vocal melodies are tasteful and are just as eerie as the music sitting behind it, creeping through dark passages before launching into an uptempo, lighter feeling section, littered with a number of impressive licks and solos. One of the most impressive things about Mastodon is their ability to play around with different styles of music without making anything sound out of place, something they display in "Blue Walsh". The song tip toes through an almost ballad like feel at first, with the vocals of Brann Dailor (drums) echoing out over the delicate guitars. Roughly halfway through, it explodes into a southern sounding, almost bluegrass influenced lick, followed by Hinds blaring out the lyrics "Time has caught up with me, taking all my energy". "Toe To Toes" is the shortest song on the album, and is also probably the catchiest too. The pace is easy to nod your head to, and contains some blinding riffs that are easy to bang your head to. The vocal melodies are also hook laden and memorable, and compliment the chord progressions developing beneath them. Closer "Cold Dark Place" sways through a variety of different vibes, painting a very honest and harrowing picture of Hinds' mind. The 3/4 swing tempo gives the song an almost lullaby like feel in places, making the lighter sections sound calming and bright, while the darker sections sound sombre and stirring. The solo is an expressive and emotive slice of brilliance too, bringing an epic close to the EP. 

I read in an issue of Total Guitar once that they were in search of "the perfect riff". Going off the strength of all their albums, I'd say they're going to keep hammering out scorchers until they find it. This EP is no exception to that statement. The way they navigate through songs is second to none. Travelling down a number of different routes and exploring so many different territories, they never feel like they're racing through sections. It's like they drift through, taking their time to admire the scenery before progressing. Cold Dark Place is a beautiful, tasteful and passionate look into one mans mind and his internal battles, and is a must listen for any fans of the band and the genre. 

D.S

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SINGLE REVIEW // Tempest - Remember Me

Hailing from the picturesque coastal town of Eastbourne, Tempest are a metalcore quintet that have been making a lot of noise across the south coast. If you've ever attended a metal gig at Blue Bar, chances are you've seen them about. Perhaps you've even watched them. If you have, you'd no doubt remember it. Their set is packed full of thunderous riffs, ferocious vocals and well constructed melodies that when strung together create an impressive sonic display. They recently released a new single titled "Remember Me" on the 13th of September, so I thought I'd check it out.

The first thing I noticed is the quality of the production. It's been so well recorded. Right from the very first chord, you can tell that every instrument has it's own space within the mix; everything is able to breathe. The guitar tone, especially, is meaty and satisfying, providing thick chunks of chug with every strum. The vocals are great, especially the lows which really pack power. There are a couple of timing issues on a few phrases, but that's me nitpicking. The overall tone and delivery is great, and the emotive content of the lyrics is portrayed really well. The song rises and falls in all the right places, features a nice catchy chorus and a good solid breakdown. Some of the sections are a little on the predictable side, but the general flow of the song overshadows that. It holds your attention from beginning to end, and makes you want to listen to more. Musically, this reminded me a lot of bands like Still Remains, In Hearts Wake and Architects, especially that outro section. The guitar tapping sounded a lot like Hollow Crown era Architects, featuring a decorative melody hovering above a wall of chords. On a whole, "Remember Me" is both punishing and passionate in equal measure, ticking all the right metalcore boxes whilst conveying a powerful and meaningful message. These guys have a lot of potential, and if they carry on progressing the way they are now I have no doubt that they'll be playing shows outside of the south coast sooner rather than later.

Speaking to Steve Collier (guitar/vocals) he told me that this song means a lot to the band and the local scene in Eastbourne, as it's written in memory of a friend. Tragically, he committed suicide, and it shook everybody to their core. They wrote this song to promote the importance of mental health issues, to let people know that they're never alone and that someone will always listen. Mental health is an incredibly important issue, perhaps now more than ever. I completely support the message within this song, and I support this band. You should too.

D.S

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Enter Shikari - The Spark

We're loyal to music, us Brits are. Especially to our homegrown bands and artists. I think that we have a sense of responsibility to support bands that are born here, all the way from them playing to Jolly John and his dog at the local pub to having entire arenas chanting their songs back to them. Without doubt, for my generation at least, Enter Shikari are one of those bands. From the moment "Sorry You're Not A Winner" was released 10 years ago (which makes me feel so old), the entire scene latched onto them and their ethic, their sound. Their sheer uniqueness. And we've been hanging on for years. On September 22nd 2017, they released The Spark, their fifth album, and it's quite possibly their most ambitious release to date.

The first thing you'll notice about this album is their musical approach. It's isn't as aggressive as their previous efforts. They still flaunt their electronic influence, and they still wave their political and humanitarian flag, forever unafraid to talk about the things that others shy away from. But, as far as the music is concerned, this is a different affair. It's a lot more accessible. Songs like "Airfield" and "Shinrin-yoku" really put the spotlight on a more relaxed and chilled out version of the band. They're jam packed full of soft tones and gently swaying melodies, both dynamically swelling into thick hook laden cadences. "Take My Country Back" and "The Sights" are more familiar, giving us their usual package of big guitars, catchy vocals and their signature electronic twists in a brighter, smoother wrapping than we've seen before. Single "Rabble Rouser" is brilliant, drawing influence from a variety of genres like grime and dubstep whilst expertly blending it with the guitar driven attack we've come to know and love. Other single "Live Outside" is a feel-good bouncy number, smothered with hooks and an unforgettable chorus. The stand out track though, for me, is album closer "An Ode To Lost Jigsaw Pieces", a masterclass in dynamics and how to build suspense. The instrumentation and how it's used is spine tingling, especially the string section which actually brought a bit of emotion out in me. And that's usually the sign of a good record, right? If it can make you feel something. And I certainly did.

I think this record is great. It's intelligent, it's catchy and memorable, but most importantly it shows their skills as musicians. You can't pigeonhole them to one particular sound anymore, because they've just ventured out of it and released a record that is very different, yet still unmistakably sounds like an Enter Shikari record. They throw all the same punches you'd expect from them, they're just delivered from angles you don't expect. It may take you a few listens to fully get into, but this record deserves your time. Check out this album.

D.S

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Counterparts - You're Not You Anymore

Counterparts are a band that just keep upping their game. With every single album, they've played around with their formula and consistently churned out good albums, each one better than the last. Today, they released You're Not You Anymore, and it follows the same pattern. This still sounds like a Counterparts record, but it's tighter, it's clearer, it's more polished. And it SLAYS. I'd talk you through my first listen, but I'll be honest, I've been jamming it all day. So, instead, I'll just give you a little insight into my thoughts about what I've heard. I wanted to try to sound completely neutral and unbiased but it's hard not to because I love this record. A lot.

Album opener "Walk Away Slowly" almost acts as a solemn warning. This song is the calmest and quietest part of the entire album. If you don't want things to get any more aggressive, you should do exactly what it tells you. If you do want aggression, however, keep listening. You'll be greeted by first release "Bouquet", a runaway train of hardcore. Without warning, you're thrown right into the eye of the hurricane, bombarded with relentless pace, meaty guitar tone and gritty, bitter vocal delivery. The chorus section is packed full of guitar cadences and gang chants, and even a layer of vocal harmony, really showing off their songwriting. A perfect opener. "Thieves" is 1:16 of pure anger, and is without doubt the heaviest track on the album. Although it's short, it doesn't need to be any longer. Start to finish carnage, a definite mosh instigator. Tracks like "Arms Like Teeth" and "Haunt Me" showcase the bands melodic side. They never fail to provide that hardcore punch we've come to know and love about them, but they really demonstrate their command of melody and take you on a rollercoaster ride through a variety of emotions and mindsets. "Rope" sounds like a continuation of "Choke" from their previous album Tragedy Will Find Us, acting as it's slightly more melodic cousin until it reaches THAT breakdown. The standout tracks here are "Swim Beneath My Skin" and "Fragile Limbs", both of which are something else entirely. Both packed with hooks, intricate guitar melodies and most importantly, intensity, I'll be surprised if these tracks don't end up becoming live favourites. Without doubt, they've knocked the ball out of the park with this one. It's way out of the park. It's out of the stadium. An unmistakable home run.

If you're a fan of hardcore and metalcore, this album should quite nicely wet your appetite. Musically this album is a tour de force of how this genre should be done, and quite confidently puts Counterparts amongst the elite of the genre. They've had a number of line up changes over the last year or so, but if anything they seem to have only strengthened the band, as is audible on this record. Do not sleep on this. Get it inside your ears. I'll be seeing these guys in January supporting Architects and While She Sleeps. If I were you, I'd grab your tickets before they sell out, because with this album under their belts, that show just got even better than it already was.

D.S

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Arcane Roots - Melancholia Hymns

Arcane Roots are a band that I've always been aware of, but never checked out. I always assumed they'd sound a certain way. For some reason, I imagined them to be some sort of indie band, not that there's anything wrong with indie, it just isn't for me personally. Not my cup of tea, as it were. But a few months ago, whilst I was on tour, a sound engineer played some music through the PA whilst we were setting up, and it had riffs, technicalities, melody, a sense of darkness subtly lurking underneath it all. And it was Arcane Roots. I was stunned. I'd slept on them for so long, and had no idea what I'd been missing out on. As soon as I saw they were due a new release, the brilliantly named Melancholia Hymns, I owed it to myself to check it out and make up for lost time. So that's exactly what I've done.

Musically, this is a collection of so many different things. It effortlessly powers through epic and almost evangelical sounding passages, littered with pianos and soothing clean tones, whilst also managing to ensnare you with dark and heavy guitar riffs and the occasional scream for good measure. Album opener "Before Me" is a perfect example of the evangelical, sounding like something you'd hear in a Sunday morning sermon complete with choirs and an organ sounding synth section. It briefly explodes into a barrage of guitars and drums before dynamically calming down again, fading back into the synths and then into nothing. A beautifully written opener, leaving you intrigued about the rest of the album. The tracks "Indigo" and "Fireflies" follow a similar feel, both calmly guiding you through the pretty scenery before exploding into chaos, and then returning you the pretty surroundings. But not all the tracks are quite so gentle. "Matter" has moments of calm, but for the majority of the track it provides us with a sonic assault of dark chord progressions and vocal melodies, with a delivery reminding me of Muse's Matt Bellamy. "Curtains" is one of the heavier tracks on the album, featuring a very distorted guitar and some of the only screamed vocals on the record. It starts off just as relaxed as the album opener, but slowly builds towards an aural assault of tone, evolving and changing with each repetition of the phrase. "Arp" is simply beautiful. The vocals sit right at the front of the mix, and rightly so; the harmonies and melodies are both haunting and stunning. The chorus section soars, and explodes into a Biffy Clyro-esque guitar driven section, pulsing along and throwing some real weight down your ears. The shining star of this album though, is the closer "Half the World". It's perfect. With lyrics such as "I left enough for you to read to try to take it back, but I was hoping I would drown", the emotion contained in this track is at the very brim of the pot, simmering throughout the song and boiling over the closer the song gets to ending. Musically powerful and lyrically honest, the track grows and grows and grows until it becomes a tidal wave of feeling. If you're at the end of the album and you aren't impressed by what you've just heard, you should be.

This is one of those albums you need to set aside some time for. You can't skip your way through this album, you need to listen to it start to finish, because Melancholia Hymns tells a story. A story that takes you on a journey through a variety of different sonic landscapes. A story you want to hear again. It bridges the gap between light and dark with ease, casually strolling from one side to the other throughout. If you're a fan of Biffy Clyro and Muse, and have ever wondered what those bands might sound like if they were combined, that's what Arcane Roots sound like. Only way, WAY more epic. And a hell of a lot darker and heavier in places.

D.S

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