Hello Bear – I Don’t Know… It’s Fun Though, Isn’t It?

A trap waiting to grab your imagination and energy, I Don’t Know… It’s Fun Though, Isn’t It? more than lives up to its title with its bouncy persona and rousing spirit. The new EP from British quartet Hello Bear, the four-track stomp is a sparkling burst of power/punk pop which may not carry major surprises but is as fresh and vibrant as anything escaping the year so far.

Formed in 2010, the Norwich bred band take inspiration found in the likes of Weezer, Pavement, Los Campesinos!, Refused, The Bronx, Presidents of the USA, McFly, Johnny Foreigner, and Dananananaykroyd into their own highly flavoursome exploits. Invigorating as a live presence which has seen Hello Bear play with bands such as Los Campesinos, Coasts, Darwin Deez, The Futureheads, and The King Blues, their sound is an ear grabber which now refuses to be ignored within the band’s new offering. The press release accompanying the EP suggests it carries “their most exciting material to date.” Being our introduction to Hello Bear it is hard to confirm or argue, but exciting the Lee Batiuk (Deaf Havana, Trash Boat, Hopeless Records) produced release is and relentlessly enjoyable.

I Don’t Know… It’s Fun Though, Isn’t It? opens up with new single We Held Hands Once, But Then She Got Embarrassed, the collective energy and enterprise of Luke Bear (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Mary Bear (guitar), Tom Bear (bass), and Daryl Bear (drums) hitting the floor running. A lone strum entices first being quickly joined by the potent tones of Luke before the song jumps on ears with eager riffs and canny rhythms. In no time it is into an infectious stroll with hooks and melodies uniting to charm attention before brewing and finally expelling a virulent contagion through its irresistible chorus. There is no escaping joining those offering Blink 182 meets Weezer as a reference for the tenaciously lively sound of song and band; add a touch of Super Happy Fun Club and The All-American Rejects though and the mix is even closer to the rousing incitement.

The following Mmm Cheque Please! makes a just as striking entrance, another single strain of guitar bait making the first lure, rampant beats and Luke’s inviting vocals the next  before it all blooms into another infectious canter. Daryl’s beats resonate as they land and Tom’s basslines grumble as much as they seduce while Mary and Luke share a tapestry of hooks and melodic endeavour which only leads to a greater appetite for song and release. Admittedly the track lacks the final spark which ignites its predecessor but leaves pleasure bubbling eagerly as does Dirty Weekend with its more restrained but wholly magnetic presence. Repeating a prowess which confirms Hello Bear masterful at creating big choruses and ripe hooks which simply infest the psyche, the song lays lustfully upon the senses.

The EP ends as its starts with a track which just whips up the passions. Attack Hug Influences is addiction for the ears, a slice of rock pop which seizes hold of body and spirit in a breathless romp complete with spicy hooks, tenacious rhythms, and a vocal coaxing which virtually forces listener involvement.

It is a boisterous end to a release which demands a party is woven around its presence each and every time. No moments of major uniqueness, all irresistible fun fuelled ingenuity; that is I Don’t Know… It’s Fun Though, Isn’t It?, one of the most enjoyable adventures this year.

I Don’t Know… It’s Fun Though, Isn’t It? is released November 11^th

http://www.hellobear.co.uk/   https://www.facebook.com/hellobear/    https://twitter.com/hellobearband

Pete RingMaster 08/11/2016

Copyright RingMaster: MyFreeCopyright

Delayed Departure – Consequences

Consequences is a release which teases and flirts with ears and thoughts, all the time laying down potent bait until you find yourself humming hooks when alone and increasingly wanting to share news of its vibrant presence. The EP is the new encounter from UK melodic/alternative rock band Delayed Departure, and a collection of highly flavoursome songs which may not be about to turn the British rock scene on its head but will certainly offer it a fresh and tasty proposition to get teeth into.

Hailing from Hampshire towns, Delayed Departure was formed in 2013 by old school friends and guitarists Charlie Bluck and Jamie Hooks. Its line-up quickly doubled with the addition of vocalist Mike Harland and drummer Steven Kedge, growing by another before the year’s end with bassist Ollie Drapper. With particular fondness for the likes of You Me At Six, Paramore, and Don Broco, the quintet spent 2014 working on their sound and honing their live craft across a host of shows throughout the South of the UK. Now national awareness is being targeted by Consequences, with success easy to expect.

The EP opens with the brief melodic suggestiveness of Opus, its sonic touch a resonating shimmer aligned to a just as pulsating bass throb. It is a reserved proposal but one building in intensity and drama for a roaring climax, led by the voice of Harland, which drifts off into the waiting adventure of Ocean. Guitars and bass immediately collude to create a weave of fiery enticement courted by thick melancholic shadows, their enterprising union speared by the swinging beats of Kedge and hugged by the already impressing tones of Harland. It is a strong and engaging big step into the heart of the EP with things only blossoming to new and gripping heights song by song.

Let’s Catch Fire is the first sign of that trait, its initial spicy groove immediately lighting ears and appetite before band vocal roars and rousing rhythms spearhead the robustly infectious stroll and character of the song. Hooks are laid as imaginatively as harmonies, the wiry tendrils of melodic flirtation as catchy as its anthemic rhythms as the track whips up listener involvement with its heavy rock ‘n’ roll enticement.

A calmer invitation follows with Captive; poetic melodies caressing the magnetic delivery of Harland as Drapper’s bass lurks with darker intent in the surrounding emotive shadows. Here alone, it is easy to see why bands such as Deaf Havana and Don Broco are given as hints to the Delayed Departure sound but personal thoughts are also nudged towards Able Archer and for less obvious reasons eighties band The Sound by the excellent encounter.

The underlying volatility of the latter part of the song is a bolder tempting within Synopsis next, the track almost stalking ears with its rapacious rhythms as vocals and guitars cast a hazily thick and forcibly provocative tapestry of craft and sonic suggestiveness. Tenacious twists, so often sparked by the dexterity of Drapper and Kedge, again litter a song which avoids expectations whilst making an adventurous but easily accessible and contagious proposal.

The same quality and skill applies to closing song Choices, the pinnacle of the release with its rousing crescendos and tempestuously fascinating landscape of sound and resourceful exploits. As strong and impacting as the EP is throughout, the closer is a step above all before, taking feet and bodies in hand with its boisterously infectious exploits as potently as it tantalises ears and thoughts with its evocative calms and emotive reflections. There is a brewing ferocity to the track too which ensures a powerful departure of song and EP leads to the quick return of ears.

Consequences makes for an impressive introduction to Delayed Departure with thick enjoyment for ears. As the band grows and their sound explores its own unique character, the five-piece can only get bolder and stronger too, that another pleasing thought coming out of one fine encounter.

The Consequences EP will be available through all stores and platforms from Friday 22nd January.

https://www.facebook.com/OfficialDelayedDeparture   https://twitter.com/dlayeddparture

Pete RingMaster 22/01/2016

Copyright RingMaster: MyFreeCopyright

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Speaking in Shadows – The Anchor EP

In describing their new EP The Anchor, UK alternative rock quintet Speaking in Shadows said “This EP has taken us back to our roots – no agendas, no concepts, no gimmicks. We’re writing music that excites and inspires us, and hope that our songs will not only engage and entertain our listeners, but also empower and encourage them to find inspiration of their own.” What they forgot to mention was that they have also bred a new oomph in sound and delivery which whilst indeed offering essences which at times seem closer to 2011 debut album Standing at the Edge than previous EP The Lies We Lead, comes with a core maturity and power fuelling a whole new freshness to get close and personal with.

Hailing from Nuneaton, Speaking in Shadows have been building up a potent following and praise for their sound and live presence since emerging. Comparisons to bands such as Funeral for a Friend, Deaf Havana, and Mallory Knox have come their way whilst Standing at the Edge and the single Sweet Gemini began the flow of acclaim presenting itself to their releases. Last year’s The Lies We Lead EP pushed things on again with its gripping single Technicolour Trainwreck included on Keep A Breast UK’s Check Your Selfie album, with the likes of Four Year Strong, Finch and Man Overboard. Now the band has stepped up with a new collection of tracks which feel stronger, sound bolder, and persuade with the most accomplished craft from Speaking in Shadows yet.

     The Anchor opens up with new single Capsized and a rousing blaze of guitar and rhythms to seize the attention of ears and imagination. A slight breath is taken as the instantly impressive tones of vocalist Adam Smith join the flirtatiously groaning bass of Sam Powell, their tempting soon aligned to more melodic flames cast by the guitars of Ali Carvell and Lewis Sketchley. With a resourceful and eventful adventure shaping its body and gait, the song as it grows, becomes gets more contagious with very passing twist to a fluid vocal and musical roar.

It is a great start backed just as enjoyably by Scatter. Led in by the magnetic beats and swings of Grant Sketchley, the song is soon unveiling its own emotive and hearty bellow loaded with soaring harmonies around the core delivery of Smith. Again the bass is a rich lure and companion to the fiery textures bred by the guitars, they only adding rich hues to the irresistible anthemic drama and tenacity boiling within the track. It is an emotively volcanic property which similarly veins Figure of Eighty, a more reserved but no less melodically and creatively pungent proposal than its predecessors. As it engages ears, the song bares its creative heart and emotion with increasingly intensity and prowess, that earlier talked of new spark and power in the band’s sound as ripe and forceful as anywhere upon The Anchor.

Bite growls and swings in ears next, barbed hooks as open as melodic temptation and the ever inviting tone and mix of vocals. Rhythms align more to the song’s grouchy side whilst sonic enterprise fans the melody honed fire burning brightly within an encounter which maybe took a couple more plays than other songs within the EP to ignite the same kind of reactions but certainly gets there in the end. The same can be said of And Grit which also is a more of a smoulder than instant incitement on welcoming emotions but grows into a lusty furnace of heated persuasion shaped by technical imagination and striking individual craft.

The Anchor closes with Easy for You, a track swiftly laying down a spicily tempting hook around which melodic elegance and rhythmic restraint sparks an evocative air leading to tenacious crescendos. The ‘weakest’ song on the EP, yet one that only lingers after departure whilst leaving emotions broadly smiling with satisfaction through a dynamic weave of sound and creative colour, it emphasizes the core strength of The Anchor and the new step in the Speaking In Shadows invention.

Speaking In Shadows impressed with their earlier releases but without doubt have hit a new peak with The Anchor. They are still not a band which you would suggest has come of age yet though which makes their potential and future even more exciting based on the strength of this impressive EP.

The Anchor EP is released October 19^th.

https://www.facebook.com/speakinginshadows     http://www.speakinginshadows.co.uk/

Pete RingMaster 19/10/2015

Copyright RingMaster: MyFreeCopyright

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The Endeavour – Voyage EP

In a year of rich debuts, another strong and potential loaded introduction comes courtesy of UK rockers The Endeavour and their Voyage EP. Bulging with four tracks of dynamic and feisty alternative rock fuelled by impassioned energy and fiery melodies, the Peterborough quintet’s first offering has the potency and power to nudge national awareness of their already attention grabbing sound and presence. Voyage is not an explosion to alter any aspect of the landscape of British rock ‘n’ roll but it is a refreshing and accomplished roar from a band easy to see springing to greater heights from this highly enjoyable base.

The Endeavour began in 2013 and consists of four brothers, Shawn (vocals), Brandon (guitar), Shane (guitar), and Garren Radley (bass), and close friend Matthew Meadows (drums). They took little time in stirring up local support and successfully hitting the live scene, finding themselves sharing stages with the likes of Fort Hope, Anavue, Enter Shikari, Deaf Havana, and Funeral For A Friend over time. With Voyage, the five-piece is looking to emulate existing success on the broader canvas of countrywide recognition, and you can only imagine it will ensure at the very least that The Endeavour is a name a great many more will be very aware of.

   The EP starts with a bang in the boisterous shape of Take It All. From its first lure of spicy riffs the song has ears and imagination alert, engrossed soon after as thumping beats join the provocative guitar bait. Swiftly followed by just as enticing hooks, it is a thrilling opening which never slips a gear as the song expands into a dramatic stroll equipped with still virulent rhythms, a wonderfully predatory bassline, and tangy guitar enterprise. Across this the excellent vocals of Shawn command attention as they spill the narrative over the track’s magnetic web of ideation. The song is unafraid to change its intensity, gait, and weight of textures across is enthralling body too but always it returns to that irresistible combination of sound and invention which set its thrilling presence in motion.

The following Open Heart reveals a more relaxed presence in energy and intensity yet also comes with sparkling melodies and striking hooks within a thick rhythmic lure. The bass again is almost bestial in tone, its barracuda voice perfect contrast to the warm smoulder wrapping the hearty enterprise alongside. Initially, as in the first song, there is a whiff of Manic Street Preachers in the air but eventually it slips into a sound more akin to a Young Guns or Taking Back Sunday. The opening track owns ears and appetite whilst the second is more an asking of attention as is No One Else To Blame, though both songs only find success. The third proposal has a catchy spine of tenacious riffs and spicy guitar adventure which shines even brighter in a mellower passage pierced by the military precision of Matthew’s sticks. As its predecessor, the track grows in potency and persuasion over time, emerging as another big, promise filled, declaration of the adventure and brewing depths in The Endeavour sound and songwriting.

Voyage is brought to an end by After The Storm, an emotive croon with lively rhythms and a slightly volatile landscape of melodic and sonic resourcefulness. The vocals and harmonies steal the show but every element of the band is a tantalising and riveting aspect as the song grows bolder and more tempestuous with every passing minute. It is a fine end to an impressive first listen to The Endeavour, Voyage showing that the band have the makings and more of something able to make a strong impact on the UK rock scene; we will be waiting like so many from now on in, with keen anticipation.

The Voyage EP is available from July 27^th through all stores and @ http://www.theendeavouruk.bigcartel.com/

https://www.facebook.com/theendeavourband https://twitter.com/theendeavouruk

Ringmaster 27/07/2015

Copyright RingMaster: MyFreeCopyright

Listen to the best independent music and artists on The RingMaster Review Radio Show and The Bone Orchard on Reputation Radio @ http://www.reputationradio.net

Of Allies – Fragments EP

Last year UK rockers Of Allies made their entrance with the excellent and ultimately acclaimed Tempers EP, a release riddled with impacting flavours and the potential of major things ahead. Now the Hull based quartet return with its successor Fragments, an encounter releasing much of the promise offered previously, breeding even more seeds for loftier ventures, and confirming the band as one of Britain’s most exciting emerging alternative/melodic rock propositions.

The band’s first EP for the main lit up ears and the imagination with its vivacious energy and skilled enterprise, revealing the early prowess and invention of songwriting and sound. Fragments leaps on from there whilst embracing all the qualities which made Tempers shine. The melodies and dramatic intensity are still flourishing but now woven into tracks which pulsate with new maturity and greater creative colour. The release also explores a wider expanse of sound whilst whipping up an even greater anthemic and fiery, not forgetting irresistible proposal. Inspirations come from bands such as Deaf Havana and Deftones but Fragments declares Of Allies as having their own unique presence now.

Fragments opens with its title track first and is instantly filling ears with thumping rhythms and a full, bold tempest of riffs and sonic persuasion. The guitars of Rich Nichols and Tom Hewson swallow the senses with imposing yet warm endeavour, invigorating the appetite whilst the song establishes a foot hold in the imagination. It relaxes into a less intensive stroll soon after, the dark tones of bass from Nick Tyldsley a potent temper and compliment to the expressive melodies and impressive vocals of Nichols. Bursts of muscular energy and sound driven by the precise and heavily impacting beats of Danny Barrick erupt as a chorus to gripping effect whilst the drummer’s restrained rhythms only enhance the mellower caresses between stormier moments. There is plenty more to the song though, a fascinating if sometimes understated invention flirting with attention throughout the song, their little twists and sparks of unpredictability adding to the creative theatre of the excellent starter.

     As impressive though the song is though, it is quickly outshine by its outstanding successor ONE19. The band’s new single, the irresistible incitement launches from a forceful caress into a prowling and anthemic, heavy stride of vocal temptation amidst a rousing tenacity of sound and energy. Reminding of the now demised Always The Quiet Ones, band and song create a rugged and invigorating tirade of riffs and rampantly rolling rhythms but equally explores explosive melodic enticement and vocal crusading. If anyone is looking for a doorway in EP and Of Allies, there is definitely no finer compelling way than through this blistering invitation.

The following Old Bones has a similarly climatic atmosphere to its more restrained presence, the song spilling powerful and pungent surges of passion and skilful endeavour alongside just as superbly crafted and magnetic melodies and flowing harmonies from across the band. Another strong aspect to all songs is their length, all barely exceeding three minutes, the final track being the only exception, but within that relatively short period creating a busy and unrelenting exploration of imagination and craft which borders on finishing too soon but leaves the band exploiting the old adage, “leave them wanting more”, beautifully.

Fourth track Tempers is a snarling encounter from its first breath, a sonic breeze sparking agile riffs and barbarous rhythms, though all converges for an inviting rather than hostile bait which continues to excite and coax within the subsequent croon of impassioned vocals and seducing melodies. The song is a maelstrom of diverse and riveting exploits though, at times a gentle evocative smooch and in others a raging torrent of boisterous and passion riling intensity. Once more everything from the predatory bass sounds to the slightly psychotic adventure of the guitars, the reserved and concussive might of drums to the ever captivating vocals, comes together superbly for another thrilling provocation.

The EP ends with the bewitching Call It Home, an entrancing flight of melodic rock which has an essence of bands like Heights and Shattered Skies to it whilst painting its own unique canvas of ingenuity. The passion in the heart of the song sees it eventually brewing up an intensive and explosive finale, thoughts and emotions left breathless and by the final note wishing the release was longer.

The Fragments EP is the coming of age Of Allies in songwriting and musically, whilst also suggesting this is still only the beginning of their rise, which is seriously exciting such the excellence on offer here.

The Fragments EP is available now through most online stores

http://ofallies.com/   https://www.facebook.com/OfAllies

RingMaster 12/05/2015

Copyright RingMaster: MyFreeCopyright

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Phoenix Calling – Forget Your Ghosts

You may have been recently caught up in the growing buzz around UK rockers Phoenix Calling through the release of the singles Everybody Knows and just recently Wasted. It has been attention brewing up for the Cambridgeshire quintet for a while now thanks to their live performances and the Waves EP of early 2014, and sure to gain new acceleration with the release of the band’s debut album Forget Your Ghosts. A collection of seriously accomplished and captivating melodic rock encounters, the album provides evidence of a band with the talent and potential to make a major mark on the UK rock scene, and itself give it a healthy impressive nudge to start widespread awareness off.

Formed in 2012, the Peterborough band draw on inspirations from the likes of Deaf Havana, Mallory Knox, and Fightstar to colour their instinctively infectious sound. With a musicianship as flavoursome as their music, Phoenix Calling able too potently play over fifteen different instruments as a collective unit, the band as mentioned released a pair of eagerly received singles earlier this year, tasters for the album which have alone sparked a fresh and broader appetite for the band’s presence. The first of the two songs alone received airplay on nearly 80 stations across the globe. This has been complimented before and since by a live presence which is just as eagerly praised and supported, the likes of The First, We Are Fiction, Tu Amore, White Clouds and Gunfire, and Under the Influence amongst many sharing stages with Phoenix Calling whilst the band itself has also headlined the main stage at Peterborough’s Willow Festival and played the BBC Introducing Stage at Cambridge Rock Fest. Now it is the turn of Forget Your Ghosts to stir up a fuss, something it will surely do with its thick and open qualities.

The album opens with Ab Initio, and proof that if you are going to make the opening track an instrumental intro it works so much better if it makes some kind of call to arms that lures ears and imagination into eager readiness for the upcoming adventure. That is exactly what Phoenix Calling achieve, guitars alone a tangy seducing which has appetite and intrigue hungry for the appearance of the following Hold Onto Glory which emerges from the sonic wind of the opener. The same flavoured hooks and grooves instantly again come into play as do warm melodies which welcome the vocal prowess of Steve Chapman backed by the also strong tones of guitarist Dom Greenwood. The latter and Martyn Hilliam are just as swift in unveiling fiery tendrils of sonic enterprise and raw riffery within the rhythmically striking encounter too, it all uniting in one strongly enticing and richly satisfying start to the album.

   Traces steps up next and the thumping beats of drummer Benedict Greenwood straight away mark the song, sinew swung swings and precise timing strong bait within a quickly growing emotive atmosphere. Vocals and guitars spin a colourful incitement to the awakening exploit whilst an emerging dark bassline from Jason Howard lays magnetic shadows in the sonic and melodic blaze skilfully conjured by the band. As its predecessor, there arguably are few real surprises within the song but its freshness and creative vitality brings a gripping persuasion which again floods Awakening, another short potent piece which really is the introduction to the excellent Bring The Roof Down. With an epic feel to its climate and an intimacy to its quieter reflections, the song is a tangle of keenly striding beats, flowing melodies, and spicy hooks, all switching and uniting across the anthemic and dramatic cry of the track.

Hitting a new plateau for the album, it is emulated by the two recent singles which come next, starting with Wasted Life. As the last song there is a skilled and attention grabbing mix of contrasting textures combining for an infectious slice of pop rock, rhythms the aggressive bait within a cloak of harmonic and sonic adventure. Group roars and emotively honed expression only add to the lure of the song, a mix similarly seeded but differently explored in the outstanding Everybody Knows. As contagious as it is melodically raucous, the song ignites ears and emotions with consummate ease with rich flames of impassioned and enthralling enterprise built on technical tenacity.

Both the rhythmically pungent Other Side and the virulently infectious We Were Young keep ears excited and a highly pleasing inventiveness coming; the second of the two especially dramatic in sound and imagination whilst their successor Angel provides a more subdued but emotionally fiery presence. With intensely firm beats and a melancholic bass tone, there is still that emotional energy which almost rumbles within the fiery croon of the song. Mellower it might be but in impact the track is as potent as any on Forget Your Ghosts.

     Still We Wait installs itself as a favourite next with its muscular and rugged landscape of rhythms, and an energy which stokes feet and emotions into action within moments. The most imposing and robust track on the album it does not sell the listener short on rich melodies and spicy imagination either, arguably emerging as the most rounded and potent song on the release.

The closing These Days provides a final creative bluster to devour happily but it is after the blast of stark and haunting sonic wind when the song comes alive, the track returning with new colour and seductive intensity to leave ears and emotions basking.

Though a few times there is some sameness between elements of different songs and the occasional familiarity to outside offerings which keeps the band nearer to the crowd then it could be, Forget Your Ghosts does everything right in providing a fascinating and increasingly pleasing proposition. It feels like this is the start of the true rise of Phoenix Calling, and the perfect place for all to climb on board.

Forget Your Ghosts is available now via The Fort Records on CD and digitally through most online stores.

https://www.facebook.com/phoenixcalling   http://www.phoenixcalling.com

RingMaster 28/04/2015

Copyright RingMaster: MyFreeCopyright

Listen to the best independent music and artists on The RingMaster Review Radio Show and The Bone Orchard on Reputation Radio @ http://www.reputationradio.net

All To Ruin – Among Us

Back in 2013, Welsh melodic metallers All To Ruin made their introduction with the Parables EP, a striking collection of songs whose only real issue was a sound which lay comfortably within that of the crowd. The suggestion and potential though was that the band would evolve into something much more distinct in time. Now the Port Talbot band return with its successor Among Us with the first question in anticipation of its release being had All To Ruin found that unique identity. Certainly in adventure, craft, and maturity, the band’s sound has openly leapt on, but in originality it is a bit of yes and no. A familiarity to bands such as Funeral For A Friend, Protest The Hero, and at times August Burns persists but it is now coloured with a freshness and creative tenacity which makes the band’s sound linger and take on a more individual character. All To Ruin is still searching for that real originality it is fair to say but as you get caught up in their powerful anthemic choruses and the fiery passion of vocals and sound, that moment in time belongs solely to them.

Formed in 2011 and with a demo under their belts by the end of that first year, All To Ruin swiftly lured attention from fans and media alike. It was Parables which lit an even stronger awareness and following, backed as potently by live performances which has taken the band to play over the past four years with the likes of The Gallows, Young Guns, Deaf Havana, This Is Hell, Lower Than Atlantis, The Blackout, Funeral For A Friend, Heart Of A Coward, Heights, Exit Ten, Textures, Continents, Sylosis, The Chariot, Revoker, The Casino Brawl…well the list goes on and on. Entering the studio, as with their last EP, with Martyn ‘Ginge’ Ford and Matt Bond (Slipknot, Trivium and Bullet For My Valentine), All To Ruin reveal a bigger, bolder, and more flavoursome sound in Among Us with, as earned by the earlier release, similar if not greater responses expected in return.

     The EP opens with Take The Reins and instantly encases ears in spicy grooves, hungry riffs, and punchy rhythms. Vocalist Aaron Roberts just as quickly brings his impressive voice to the affair whilst the guitar of Rhodri Williams provides a spiral of sonic enterprise and temptation. That new strength in songwriting and sound needs little prompting to show itself, as too a bolder imagination as the song slips into a gentle melodic embrace of voice and guitar. The thick swipes and rolls of drummer Tom Richardson keep an aggression bubbling though, eventually becoming the spark for a return of the opening impassioned roar of the encounter.

It is heavily enticing start to Among Us taken up another level by its title track straight after. Jabbing beats and a dark throaty bassline from Dan George provide the initial bait, their intimidation swiftly wrapped in the sonic tendrils of guitar. It all evens out as a warmer but no less imposing weave of increasingly gripping melodic adventure unites with the tempestuous and intensive rhythmic side of the proposition. There is also a drama to the song, emotionally and physically, which reveals more of the inventive and mature edge to the band’s creativity. An orchestral seducing in the background of the song helps that theatre arise as it flirts throughout, and once given its clarity, simply captivates in the finale of the excellent song.

Certainly there are plenty of recognisable elements on the two songs so far, but in reality that kind of applies to most releases these days, and as mentioned when songs like Among Us and the following Disconnect bellow with passion and imagination, it is predominantly a flavouring which only adds to the enjoyment. The third song brings a similar canvas to the previous track, an emotive orchestral colouring immersing the imagination as rhythms plunder the senses and vocals unleash the heart of the proposal. Aggressive and reflective simultaneously, the track spins another intriguing web of sparkling endeavour soaked in familiarity though it reveals itself to be even stronger in enterprise and emotion.

Aggression fuels History next, the best song on the EP driven by a creative snarl and provocative energy spawned by carnivorous riffs and uncompromising rhythms. Rather than being tempered this is complimented by the blistering sonic exploits cast by the guitars and the inventive twists further stirring up an already explosive song. On the last EP there was one song which stood out and pushed the envelope on the release and on Among Us it is History.

The EP comes to an end through Beneath The Steel Sky, a blaze of melodic rock which like a friend wraps enjoyably around ears and feeds the appetite. As shown here, technically the band has grown impressively as they have in songwriting and sound, but it is the imagination which lines every song which most stands out even if uniqueness is taking longer to come through. As with Parables though, Among Us suggests it is looming and closer still, but again the reality is that as songs consume ears and imagination only thorough enjoyment is the outcome.

The Among Us EP is available from April 27^th via http://www.alltoruin.bigcartel.com/ and through all stores.

https://www.facebook.com/alltoruinmetal   https://twitter.com/alltoruinuk

RingMaster 27/04/2015

Copyright RingMaster: MyFreeCopyright

Listen to the best independent music and artists on The RingMaster Review Radio Show and The Bone Orchard on Reputation Radio @ http://www.reputationradio.net