When Giants Collide – No One Is Safe

By RingMaster Review on February 10, 2012 • ( 0 )

UK metalers When Giants Collide have not just made their debut with a release that is powerful and ferocious but one that leaves their audience sprawled on the floor as empty husks from their sonic onslaught. No One Is Safe is a very apt title and fair warning for the demanding series of violations within the EP’s muscular walls.

The West Yorkshire quintet, originally formed in 2008, really started to put their stamp upon UK metal when they re-energised with a new, and the current line-up in 2010. This point saw the band and sound really come together and things begin to gel and move distinctly forward for them. They began drawing in eager and strong attention through the sharing of stages with the likes of Martyr Defiled, Silent Screams, Panic Cell, Sworn Amongst, and Texas in July to name a few, their highly intense mix of destructive riffs, mind bending rhythms, and incisive technical metal creativity riling up audiences to great effect.

Immediately the EP opens it is obvious the ability of the musicians involved, the songs carefully crafted and strikingly presented to display the skill of those involved. When Giants Collide bring a fusion of influences from bands like Meshuggah, Sikth, Between the Buried and Me, and TesseracT, the band using these flavours in a collision (the band’s name really the perfect representation) with their own immense ideas to create precise yet bludgeoning music that cannot be denied. It comes with the intent of attaching to and equally numbing and mesmerising the senses.

First track ‘Wasteland’ eases itself in with simplistic crystalline guitar melodies and an air of impending menace. The acidic melodies persist as intrusive riffs demand attention combining into a partly hypnotic and partly abusive maelstrom of creativity. The guitars of William Luke Downing and Rory Cavanagh pierce and splinter within the ear into testing intimidating aggression and mesmeric sparkling melodies. Powered by the impressive drumming of Damian Clarke and the growling bestial lines of bassist Anthony Green the song erupts and expands like a living beast, breathing and throbbing with an eager pulse.

Every song within the EP warrants that description, such as the antagonistic ‘Codename 47’, a track that feels like it is examining and judging ones limits before unleashing the stunning and challenging ‘Defcon ‘ to consume and eat away all defences before its insatiable heavy sound. As with every track, as harsh and full of violate intent as they are the band temper them wonderfully with their technical and melodic interplay. Beautifully blended it is almost as if the songs have a cannibalistic quality, the intensity and the fierce side of the sound wanting to consume and feast upon the melodic and technical progressive like grooves and those cleaner blistering elements wanting to slice apart the heavy artillery of the band. It all combines into an impressive and constantly intriguing experience with ‘Balboa’ and ‘Swansong’ matching and completing a fine release.

Throughout No One Is Safe vocalist Scott Jenkins growls and spews lyrics as if his throat is in dispute with his voice, bile coated and verging on inhuman his harsh delivery enhances and burdens each track. Many bands seem to have gone this way whether by choice only they know but certainly with When Giants Collide the lack of variety within Jenkin’s delivery does hinder at times. He is a strong vocalist and at times his ‘cruel’ delivery is perfect but in other moments as the bands melodic sway exudes out, a shift in attack or variation in tone feels needed.

This does not stop No One Is Safe being a more than fine debut and though the band need a little more individuality to their music to really stand out one can only anticipate that it will be a certainty in the future of When Giants Collide.

http://www.facebook.com/whengiantscollide

RingMaster 10/02/2012