It is fair to say that All At Sea are pissed off; driven by a rage and fury which makes no compromises for the injustices and crimes of modern society. It is an anger which escalates in their new EP and a sound which uses the fuel to create one seriously rousing and thrilling incitement. Fusing the raw and instinctive essences of hardcore and groove metal, the UK outfit roar and trespass with the combined irritability of a bear and the lithe prowess of a predatory pole dancer, a union ensuring that Systemized is much more than a mere attention grabbing proposition.
From England’s North East, All At Sea first hit out from quickly incited local success with the release of debut EP Divided in 2015. It was a potent nudge of national awareness which did not quite find the strength of success its visceral bellow warranted. It is hard to see Systemized not finding richer success devouring its presence, its voracious nature commanding and antagonistic voice a demanding trespass easy to embrace.
Opener Wake Work Repeat offers a few seconds of controlled coaxing before unleashing its emotional and physical blaze. In no time riffs and rhythms unite to badger the senses as vocalist Jack Tyreman brawls with a variety of snarling growls supported as potently by the just as irritable tones of Ross Adam Blackmore whose guitar alongside that of Scott Marks conjures tides of bracing and abrasing riffs. Like a furious mix of Rage Against The Machine and Converge, nu-metal and punk rock involved in the band’s instinctive fusion of animosity, the track breeds an infectious virulence as invasive as its sonic and vocal ire. Grooves continue to entwine and incite the listener, the rapier swings of drummer Tom Cox bone splintering as Josh Walker’s basslines crawl across the damage.
It is a thrilling creative ferocity more than matched within next up Consume. From its first breath grooves bait and trap the imagination and hips, the bruising of further predatory rhythms and the malice of vocal antipathy soon arising as the scent of a Bloodsimple joins punk irritability as much CIV as it is High On Fire like. Stalking the senses with more ursine dexterity and rigour, the track is viral vindictiveness but itself slightly eclipsed by its successor in the shape of the new All At Sea single Gimme The Mic. Initially there is a similar holler and shape to its attack to the previous track but an essence soon woven into and consumed by the song’s own groove laden, spite fuelled stomp. There is a bluesy taint to that grooving which simmers rather than flames within the sonic fire and rhythmic battering but adds another great hue to the uncompromisingly intrusive and anthemic battle front of the encounter.
That bluesy toning is even richer within the grooved lattice of Life Value, the guitars spinning a deceptive web of invitation as their sonic dexterity sears and rhythms raid the senses. With the blend of vocals and their delivery as magnetically choleric as ever, the track is primal rock ‘n’ roll to lose inhibitions with; exhaustion and aroused argument ensured before Business Of Faith offers its own kind of raptorial rhythms and sonic bad blood. Vocals challenge and incite as riffs plunder and grooves share venomous yet captivating intoxication. Like a grizzly with the lustfully flirtatious moves of a feline, the track is a sly and artfully seductive vendetta of enmity bringing one gripping exhilarating encounter to a masterful conclusion.
The song is not as feral as others within Systemized but adds a just as fiercely enjoyable and blistering moment in its barbarously inventive and intensively charged tempest. If Systemized does not put All At Sea firmly on the biggest metal maps, attention succumbing to its unbridled storm, something will be seriously amiss.
Systemized is out now @ https://allatseauk.bandcamp.com/album/sytemised
https://www.facebook.com/AASNEUK/
Pete RingMaster 16/05/2017
Copyright RingMaster: MyFreeCopyright
The gripping start is reinforced by the almost carnal resourcefulness and snarling nature of Make Them Die Slowly. Riffs immediately provide a tasty intrusion, seeming to relish their antagonistic presence within a web of sinister yet seductive grooves. With vocals across the band stalking the imagination too, the track reveals a punk infused attitude to its Crowbar meets High on Fire meets Earthride like trespass.
The powder keg of sonic fire and heavy brew of classic intoxication opens with its title track, Shoulders of Giants an initial shimmer with instant intensity and drama that only grabs attention and imagination. Gilchrist is soon spinning a web of melodic intrigue as the swiftly impressive voice of Donnelly blossoms in sound and narrative. Straight away she is a focal point but through the strength of the flavours and craft surrounding her soon the song as a whole is in command again, the rhythms springing a mix of anthemic intimidation over which the guitar casts a tonic of grooves which at times finds a Skids like tang. The track is a mighty start to the EP, full of striking textures and enterprise that alone needs numerous plays to fully explore with increasing rewards.
The album’s title track starts the thrilling violation, its lumbering body prowling the senses initially as guitar and bass spread intrusive riffs backed by the hefty swipes of Kiss. Almost deceptively the song is soon enveloping the listener, vocals fusing melody and aggression as they lead the swarm of gnarly sound and invasive shadows. Even more invasive as the album proceeds, Fear of Man is like a cauldron seeded in Melvins, High On Fire, Pigs, and The Great Sabatini but becoming more distinct in character and individuality with every raw trespass offered.
The album opens with A Familiar Face, an immediate tempting of bold rhythms and melodically spun sonic enterprise woven into a warm instrumentally led tapestry. The track swiftly captivates as its hooks and grooves seduce as the bass swings and drums badger, a union which only captures ears and imagination with vocal harmonies adding just one more flavoursome texture to the album’s initial temptation.
It is a mighty start taken another level by Wheel of Swords, another track with an irresistible start to its creative alchemy. A great nagging from riffs as rhythms tumble vivaciously coaxes ears first, their lure replicated in varying tones as sterner grooves and muscular predation swiftly looms up with the again potent vocals of Morris at their helm. Like Black Tusk meets Baroness with a spicing of Sabbath and Clutch to it, the song has energy and pleasure in its hands with quick ease, handing over an exhausted and rapturous body to the following Into The Trees and its mellow climate around melodic prowess. Keys emotively caress as the guitars strokes the senses with elegant suggestiveness to match the melancholic voice of Morris. The first half of the song is wrapped in this mesmeric beauty, its second a rugged landscape of again incendiary rhythms amidst tangy classic metal/rock endeavour and striking vocals.
It is an invigorating and addictive start continued by The Turning Of The Bones, where again the toxic invitation of grooves binds and enslaves as Hochstetler batters and Lacey’s keys stroke the senses. The repetitious nagging quality of riffs and grooves is also easily devoured manna, an essence which enhances every track upon the album as Presley’s ire shapes and colours the confrontational energy and heart of each incitement further like in the outstanding death shuffle of My Apocalypse and the corrosive majesty of The Bell. The first of these two bounces along throwing sonic spears and bone splitting beats out whilst ingraining the imagination with a hook lined groove carrying a Biafra and Co breeding. From one peak to another as its successor seamlessly escapes from its companion with its own hypnotically debilitating rancor and seriously catchy tirade of guitar and bass enterprise. Ministry at their corrosively niggling best comes to mind as the song continues to bind and scar but again the face and character of the song is all Zebras.