The Condemned To Repeat EP brings together two of the UK’s most promising, indeed already exciting metal prospects and across rousing ear gripping tracks shows why both are creating a real buzz.
The release sees South London metallers Deference and Southampton outfit Vanity provide two tracks each of their increasingly individual sounds. It is an encounter springing from the idea of a prospective collaboration between both bands which Deference members, vocalist Rob Lea and vocalist/guitarist Matt Dennison, offered forward late 2017. Vanity guitarist Luke Jervis explains, “We decided against creating a hybrid band between the two but wanted to focus more on the initial project of creating music as a collective.” The four tracks do see the vocalists of each band sharing vocal duties in each other’s offerings though to add to the open adventure of the release.
Deference provides the first pair of songs, starting things off with Sins. The band has seen their melodic metal constantly lure a host of new fans particularly from sharing stages with the likes of Bless The Fall, Miss May I, Fit For A King, Currents, Rolo Tomassi and Napoleon in recent times. Their first track initially coaxes ears with a suggestive melody, a calm but potent lure soon joined by the carnivorous textures of Dennison and Jonathan Prince’s guitars. Rhythms are less eager but resonate with every growl of Shaun Kirtland’s bass and the swinging attack of drummer Mike Hill, until it all boils over in a rousing roar. Even then there is a certain control to the eruption, a creative prowess which perfectly aligns to the growing vocal spread of enterprise. Drama soaks every note unveiled as too rich imagination, the track giving hints as to why the band has been compared to the likes of Architects and Northlane.
Their second track is just as compelling, Burial a voracious slab of discontent and creative fury strapped with hungry grooves and rapier thrusting rhythms. It is a sonic wrath tempered by an atmospheric sigh and turbulence interrupting melodic flames, a song never settling or allowing the listener to before its tempestuous roar and like its companion hits the spot right on but the second unleashes an especially inventive spleen impossible to resist.
It is the same with the two incitements from Vanity, a band which has already excited our appetites as many others through the Perspective//Dread and Perspective//Empathy EPs a couple of years or so back. They too have made their mark on the European live scene, playing with bands such as We Came As Romans, Chelsea Grin, Thy Art Is Murder, Black Tongue and I Killed The Prom Queen. Humane is first up from the quintet, emerging from an atmospheric mist with a rich wiring of grooves and a hellacious web of vocal ire. Swiftly the song expands its sonic lures and suggestive atmosphere, unpredictability joining volatility in the breath and heart of the increasingly enthralling trespass as all the while it preys on ears with growing dexterity, stalking the senses to share fear and pleasure.
Disillusioned is equally predatory as it completes the line-up, the track crawling over the listener with carnal intent whilst equally providing a magnetic blend of vocal adventure and melodic intimation. Again, the invasion never follows expectations, every second and breath bringing fresh challenge borne of real imagination to arouse and captivate.
Condemned To Repeat is an outstanding incursion from two bands which so far are only growing more striking and thrilling by the release and declaring UK metal is in exciting hands.
The Condemned To Repeat EP is available now.
https://www.facebook.com/WeAreDeference https://www.facebook.com/VANITYUK/
Pete RingMaster 30/04/2019
Copyright RingMaster: MyFreeCopyright
The EP opens up with new single Oracles. Instantly ears are under a barrage of predacious rhythms but equally are wrapped in a wiry mesh of grooves hunted by ravenous riffs. Vocals come with matching force and attitude but soon reveal great diversity as clean strains alternate and unite with throaty squalls. Already that richness of sound within its metalcore breeding is working away, enticing and intriguing as simultaneously other aspects trespass the senses. Evolving through more placid but no less gripping moments before the track’s rock ‘n’ roll explodes it is an outstanding start and appetiser to the fresh impetus in the rise of Black Water Chemistry
It is a thickly impressive start with a touch of bands such as Mastodon, Exodus, and The Sword to it though hues in something far more individual to URNE; a trait just as potent within the following creative drama of The Lady And The Devil. Essences of doom and occult metal join the more classic swing of the track as it gets its instinctive groove going alongside the enticing clean tones of Nally, the dark brooding in his bassline a great tempering to the fiery air of again a track which masterfully and imaginatively evolves.
The following Space To Breathe is just as swiftly imposing but inviting, taking a less invasive stance initially as its elements settle before uniting in its own ferocious trespass. Ash’s vocals again impress with their not vast but strong diversity within the emerging rich tapestry of sound. There are essences of bands like Spineshank and Static X to the track at times but equally it lusts after death and extreme metal textures with the same fervour and invention before the superb Split In Two uncages its own similarly but individually woven tempest. Harsh and melodic strains in both vocals and music make an easy union as the imagination in songwriting incites their drama, the track continuing the explosive success of the first pair ensuring that Hollow is already a riveting proposal.
Bastardized follows with its own ferocious incursion, snarling and blistering the senses from its first breath before sharing a more nu-metal natured breath with a touch of bands like Spineshank to it. Snapping and jabbing at ears, the track springs toxic contagion and intense discontent within an atmospheric melody stranded weave; seducing whilst preying on the listener before Wiretap uncages its own ferocious animus with instinctive catchiness and melodic suggestion at its core. There is a whiff of Deftones meets Architects to its growing body but to be honest as all hints offered to tracks, the Hostile Array sound absorbs and turns all in its own individuality.
As opener Cry Wolf explodes on the senses, instantly there is no escaping the rapacious presence of band and song, and indeed the magnetic tones of Le Rox. Her attack is as urgent as the sounds around her with a hint of ‘desperation’ to its lilt though really it is just an earnest bred eagerness to stir things up, again just as the individual garage punk sound Pretty Pistol unleash. Riffs and rhythms collude in devious persuasion, getting under the skin as forcibly as the flying hooks and that glorious verbal trespass. There is a touch of Asylums to the track too which only adds to its virulently striking presence and to be honest if the goodness stopped right there we would still be urging attention the EPs way.
The Sand In The Hourglass, The Life In My Lungs instantly makes for a compelling affair, the resonance of drummer James Hart’s first swings ringing around the enticement of guitar before driving the blossoming track with boisterous energy as vocals and sonic imagination brew their winning persuasions. Swiftly there is a freshness and spark to the song less noticeable in its predecessor, its character and imagination bold with a fire in its belly which erupts with lava-esque intensity. Short and voracious, the song grabs and firmly retains best track honours though the EP’s title track soon makes for an eager rival with its infectious nature. Though it misses the keen creative invention of the last track it makes up for it with its rich catchiness and eager energy aligned to that natural flair in sound the band seems to have.