First impressions are not always the most accurate barometer to people and indeed bands but they can give a strong intimation when you are on to a good thing; a suggestion the debut EP from UK metallers Godstone strongly makes. Offering five tracks fuelled by a sound which is not maybe overly unique, the band’s music lying somewhere amongst the likes of Alter Bridge, Shinedown, and Stone Sour, Monument Of One hits the spot with individual enterprise and a rousing breath.
From the south west of England, Godstone linked up with John Cornfield to record their first EP and from its first moments, Monument Of One makes for one magnetic proposition with its tapestries of ear entwining grooves, imagination stoking melodies, and spirit rousing muscle.
Over the Line starts things off, the song immediately setting the scene for the release with its rapacious air, imposing touch, and create weave; a delicious groove bursting with zeal from the initial coaxing upon a swinging gait. Guitarists John Kenward and Alex Goodrich quickly have attention keen as the punchy beats of Matt Davy hungrily collude with the dark grumble of Matthew Pascoe’s bass. Once the strong tones of vocalist James McDonald rise to add further lures, nicely backed by the melodic throat of Kenward, the song is in control of ears and body whilst providing a familiar yet certainly fresh slice of metal incitement.
The following Tear It All Apart offers its own striking invitation, again a guitar making the creative beckoning before the band unites in an infectious rumble as imposing as it is magnetic. With wiry grooves and a compelling conspiracy of hooks and twists, the song soon has ears firmly locked in feeding on its cosmopolitan melodies and aggressive dynamics. As suggested earlier, there is something familiar about this and other songs yet it has a character and style to its roar which sets the band apart from most.
A gentle almost melancholic caress brings next up The Way You Are into view, McDonald soon joining the inference of guitar and sombre twang of bass. The track’s eruption into a fiery trespass is fluid and resourceful though the song still retains a leash on its aggressiveness which only enhances its temptation. Potent first time around and even more compelling by the listen, much as the EP itself, the song adds another firm hand on ears and pleasure before Breathe crafts another rich moment within the release with its grunge/groove metal natured roar. Predacious yet seductive as its body and sound reveals a mercurial nature the song makes a strong play for best track.
Swiftly showing its candidacy too is final song Full Circle, it also a composed yet raucous holler of metal and heavy rock woven with grooved enterprise and melodic dexterity. It provides a strong and indeed fine end to a release announcing Godstone a band attention is bound to be good friends with. Uniqueness may still be in the brewing stage in the band’s sound but the potential is there and with encounters like Monument Of One the wait should be rather enjoyable.
Monument Of One is out now across all digital platforms and @ https://godstone.bandcamp.com/album/monument-of-one
https://www.facebook.com/godstoneofficial/ https://twitter.com/godstone_uk
Pete RingMaster 16/04/2018
Copyright RingMaster: MyFreeCopyright
The excellent start is forcibly backed by the raw and concussive antics of Filth, the track a predacious confrontation crawling across the senses with ill-intent in its devilry. A touch of Devildriver lines the beast, the song almost leering and drooling over the listener with its nagging riffs and salacious grooves; guitarist Tomas Åkvik laying down sonic pheromones. Its primal temptation moves over for the blues lilted, stoner dusted Dead Man’s Song. As its predecessors, it is a web of grooved and rhythmic tenacity merging the familiar with wholly fresh imagination and invention. It did feel the least original proposition within the album yet it certainly emerged as one of the most captivating.
The excellent start only continues as The Project follows, its electronically hued entrance easily stirring keen attention before opening up into a rapacious almost carnivorous prowl. Metalcore meets groove metal as things intensify, many more strains of sound adding to the menace and imagination seizing trespass. Something akin to a fusion of Poison The Well, As I Lay Dying and Devildriver, the track gnaws and increasingly pleasures the senses, a success only escalating as the funkier throes of In My Jail tease and invade next. A beguiling web of styles and flavours, the track alone reveals the bold invention at the heart of Hampered and the expansive hunger in their sound which does not always get the chance to blossom as it might across the release. Here it is in full bloom, plaintive vocals and hungry sounds uniting in a ravenous assault of irritable yet severely infectious and predatory enterprise.
Best track honours are seized by Splitter next, the rhythmic entrapment of Gumpoldsberger and Stirner inescapable from its opening strains and only intensified by the rolling attacks and belligerent grumble of drums and bass thereon in. Spice loaded grooves and a general rock ‘n’ roll swing only add to the track’s might with only the clean vocals for some reason and for once not quite connecting. Nevertheless it is a storming encounter which alone could have sparked an appetite for the band’s sound but is more than backed by the likes of Aurora and Phoenix. The first is an atmospheric tempting with alluringly portentous shadows around a rhythmic resonance, a union beguiling ears and imagination before its dark side rises up in invasive riffs and sonic trespass. That also brings a melodic and electronic enterprise which suggestive mystique setting up the adventurous rock ‘n’ roll of the second with the added attraction of female vocals and melody encased endeavours.
It is a potent and enticing start Dead On Arrival continues with its bristling and irritable but fiercely infectious attack. Leading up to its virulent chorus, the song commands eager attention but grabs it like a puppeteer with a focal point which has neck muscles and fists as involved as vocal chords. Around that beast of a chorus, the guitars weave a web of enticement as rhythms again prowl and pounce with anthemic prowess, the track real evidence of the band’s growing and evolving sound whilst stirring up the senses and attitude with prime thrash volatility.
The opening whirl of guitar in The Answer had ears totally enthralled, its craft irresistible and continues to tempt across a song which to be honest otherwise did not make the same impact as its predecessors yet was the centre of attention in its increasingly enjoyable company before Crisis of Hope takes centre stage. It too makes a transfixing entrance, its hook fuelled lure Skids like and subsequently coring an emerging Jane’s Addiction-esque stroll. As the previous song, it was bit of a slow burner on ears though making a more than decent first impression, but grew minute by minute, listen by listen into another highly enjoyable encounter within Dawning if still missing the heights of the first trio.
It is an ear and imagination stirring start which still gets eclipsed by the following Fade. With predacious beats from Joe Farrell stalking an electric tease, the song is soon a jungle of grooves, melodic tendrils, and invasive rhythms led by the compelling groan of Eifion Sweet’s bass. The song’s initial growl mellows out as Young swings from his raw attack to warm emotions, melodic radiance twinkling within the heavier grooved netting. As with its predecessor, things barely settle for more than a few breaths before fresh turns are made, the individual craft of the band as gripping as their united mastery and exploration of their sound and songwriting. It is less of an examination than the previous track but still nurturing some moments of almost primal creative hunger before Mind’s Eye takes over twisting the senses.