The French metal scene keeps throwing up new encounters which just spark the appetite while fiercely pleasing ears; the debut EP from The Sideline Haters another thoroughly enjoyable example.
The Paris hailing death metallers were formed in 2014 by guitarist Allan “M-Slay” B. and bassist Elodie “Ch!ng” G, both former members of progressive death metallers Aenomy. Within a few weeks, the band’s line-up was complete with the addition of vocalist Florian M. (ex-ADM) and drummer Guillaume “Will” C. (ex-Hyperdump). From then until now, there is little we can tell you about the band’s time but Who Shaves The Barber?, their first EP tells all you might wish to know anyway.
Produced by the band’s Allan Bravo, who also created the EP’s excellent artwork, Who Shaves The Barber? opens with The Sideline Effect, a track which quickly winds toxically sultry tendrils of guitar around ears as intimidatingly heavy rhythms prowl. It is not an over imposing or surprising first moment with the band but a setting down of the antagonistic terms the track offers before upping the ante in hostility and intensity. Once in position, raw throated vocals carry deep seated rancor in every syllable they share whilst the bass backs up that menace with its own cantankerous presence. Things become increasingly more enthralling with every passing minute, the track emerging a potent slab of death irritability and craft, making up for it’s sometimes less than surprising exploits with some mouth-watering hooks and slithers of spiky grooving.
The strong start is quickly matched and surpassed by the crawling almost pestilential demands of Tasty Cull. Straight away the song has a creative air and character wearing the scent of unpredictability, those twists coming out through the spidery enterprise of the guitar and the senses spotting suggestiveness of keys. The fact that those latter imagination sparking elements are pushed too far into the background of the tempest is a small issue, but just a minute element with a track which is as compelling as it is ravenous.
The EP closes with its title track, Who Shaves The Barber? going straight for the throat from its first breath in a hellacious tide of riffs and fearsome rhythms. That initial torrent of aggression and intensity barely wavers across the rest of the death metal bred rock ‘n’ roll of the track, its moments of taking the foot slightly off the throttle embracing a delicious weave of winy grooves and psyche piercing hooks. The track quickly steals the show, alone ensuring that The Sideline Haters is firmly placed on the radar of keen interest hereon in.
The Sideline Haters show they will be more than a passing flirtation with attention through Who Shaves The Barber?, an accomplished and increasingly imaginative proposition soaked in a potential which excites. It is going to be interesting to see how they develop and great fun on the evidence of their first trespass on the senses.
The Who Shaves The Barber? EP is out now @ http://thesidelinehaters.bandcamp.com/releases
https://www.facebook.com/thsidhate
Pete RingMaster 18/05/2016
Copyright RingMaster: MyFreeCopyright
For more exploration of the independent and promotional services check out http://www.zykotika.com
It is the same with No More Justice, the song needing mere seconds to whet ears and the imagination with its opening bait of Clawfinger-esque riffery. That passing lure is soon lost in the predatory prowl and rhythmic stalking of the song, an intimidating invitation in its own right which in turn twists and turns into a web of sonic enterprise and galvanic hooks within the track’s open discontent.
From one great track to another as Mental Torture takes over with its brutish nostrils flared as scything beats mercilessly lead the way. The hellacious invasion only escalates as another horde of savage riffs and belligerent rhythms join the corrosive surge of vocal discontent. Though not as open as the sounds around them, there is potent variety to the vocal trespasses across the album which cleverly tempers the general abrasiveness of their aggressive texture. Here it is irresistibly contagious despite its viciousness before the track departs for the emotional and physical jaundice of Psychic Paralysis and in turn the brief atmospheric drama and turbulence of End of Tunnels. Both entice and spark the imagination but are soon overshadowed by the two parts of Pinhole of Diffraction. Part One is a bestial corrosion of the senses, rampaging rhythms and niggling riffs courting the antipathy of the vocals. It soon shows a bold and schizophrenic imagination though which simply ignites an already keen appetite for the release. The track is an off-kilter shuffle of enterprise and barbarity emulated with fresh zeal and rigour by the similarly psychotic and creatively maniacal Part Two.
Twisted lives up to its name next ; its body of sound and invention bordering on the deranged and incessantly vicious to whip up a new greed in an already established appetite for the album, while Dear Next Victim dances on the ear initially with flirtatious tendrils of guitar and spicy hooks. That early coaxing only intensifies as the song erupts into a more volcanic proposal though and also when it explores a less intensive adventure of groove metal ingenuity. There is a touch of Down meets Sepultura to the song in certain moments, a compelling and thrilling twist which is matched in imagination throughout by a series of bold twists and dramatically imaginative turns. The track is superb, taking best on album honours with ease.
Faith Delirius Imago continues the impressive start with its deceptively and openly primal yet skilfully woven tapestry of rancor and sonic infestation. Rhythms again swipe like the claw of a bear whilst grooves infiltrate ears and psyche like a serpentine predator, yet both show an addictive character with their contagious and swinging viciousness which alone incite and feed hungry ears becoming even greedier for the subsequent twists and turns of sound and intensity that writhe within the tempest.
Cities Of Gold is arguably even more primal and inhospitable than its predecessor; vocals spewing malice with every syllable and the instantly captivating grooves spreading toxicity with very swing of their body within another tempest of emotional and aural animosity. To that though, a perpetually virulent infectiousness flows and in time, a melodic seduction from keys and guitar which is as bracing and invigorating as the animus of confrontation surrounding it. The opener grabbed ears and appetite, its successor trapped both, and by The Reign Of Tyrants, it is fair to say that band and EP had these ears enslaved. Thrash metal is never too far from the textures of death and extreme metal, and drives the third track with open eagerness, though things soon become a part of A thick tapestry of flavours and rabid intent as unpredictable as it is enthralling. Compared to the previous pair, it also has less urgency to its devouring; a more reserved violence to its assault that only makes it more dangerous and captivating.
Claudel’s bass has ears and appetite enslaved in no time on the following Cell Swelling too; its throaty snarl delicious bait which is quickly matched in steely kind by invasive riffs. Provoking and enticing with every touch, the song scowls and bruises throughout but tempers its merciless intent with great unpredictable side steps into calmer rapacious exploits often led by that irresistible bass tempting. As with its predecessor, the song is not re-inventing the wheel but a fresh and individual character to each is the predominate spice which equally stirs the spirit across the likes of Running Out of Time and Thrashtastik. Amongst influences listed are the likes of Slayer, Testament, and Kreator; flavours which especially come to mind in the forcibly contagious first of the pair with its compelling trespass of a swing. Its successor is relatively less open in influence as it uncages a bedlamic shuffle of thrash voracity and ridiculously catchy endeavour. It is a death dance, a flirtation to destruction and as the previous track, one thrilling provocation.