Greyhaven – State Of Mind

Finding an inventive and commanding middle ground between the raw intensity of metal and the anthemic infectiousness of alternative rock with a firm dash of post hardcore involved, British quintet Greyhaven recently uncaged their new EP State Of Mind. It is an encounter which roars and serenades ears and imagination in equal measure; bullying and seducing the senses with seven explosive and imposingly compelling proposals.

London based, Greyhaven formed early 2015 and soon earned a potent reputation for a live presence which has seen the band play alongside the likes of Create To Inspire, Idols Of Apathy, Vera Grace, and The Afterparty. Their first year also the release of debut EP The Flood, a well-received introduction which solidly set the band out as one to watch. State Of Mind suggests much more as it reveals Greyhaven taking new strides in songwriting and sound with riveting results.

Recorded with Dan Kerr (Shields, Create To Inspire, Despite my Deepest Fear), State Of Mind is a tempest of anthemic intensity and sound aligned to mellower moments of melodic intimacy. From opening suggestive instrumental Sinners a sense of creative and emotive drama blossoms in ears, the track growing in predacious shadows and poetic charm before it eventually drifts into the waiting jaws and rousing tempestuousness of Hexes. As guitarists Alex Hills and Jim White weave a tapestry of descriptive riffs and melodic tendrils in tandem with similarly potent keys, the raw throated growl of bassist Edd Kerton explodes to be subsequently replaced by the impressive clean and emotive tones of vocalist Sam Paterson. Tapestry is the best word for the song, so many elements across the band bred with imagination and interwoven in a proposal which never stops revealing new essences and shades of tone in every listen.

It is a craft and prowess which applies to all songs within the release to be fair, the following Darkest Hour swift confirmation as a great growling bassline from Kerton and the merciless swings of drummer Connor Tate link up with the harmonious delivery of Paterson and the emotive melodies which embrace ears. A fiery solo only adds to the imposing yet captivating drama shaping the song, again each minute a cauldron of enterprise breeding new adventures with every encounter.

There are familiar elements to the Greyhaven sound which suggest inspirations from the likes of Architects and Alexisonfire, and maybe are most openly apparent within the excellent On & On, though they are spices quickly engulfed in the band’s own eager imagination. The source of the band’s new video, the track leaps around and burns like a sonic fire, the guitars licking at the senses with melodic heat as rhythms crackle at the core amidst vocally coloured flames.

From one powerful persuasion to another as the highly infectious Our Stand steps forward next, its proposal bruising and magnetic as Paterson shines within another storm of metallic predation and emotionally inflamed contagion as savage as it is rousing as it is pop lined infectious. That lighter air also frequents successor Brother, though again Greyhaven infuse it into a creative and musical ferocity which almost venomously snarls. The song adds another shade to the sound and songwriting of the band, its catchiness an inescapable lure perfectly courted by a barbarous intent headed by Kerton’s toxically grouchy growls.

Closed by a thoroughly enjoyable acoustic version of The Flood, the title track of that first EP, State Of Mind proves and further suggests that Greyhaven is heading towards becoming a potent part of the British heavy rock scene. Already they have provided two releases no one should ignore.

State Of Mind is out now via Outsider Records across most online stores.

https://www.facebook.com/greyhavenuk    https://twitter.com/greyhavenuk    https://www.instagram.com/greyhavenuk/

Pete RingMaster 08/09/2016

Copyright RingMaster: MyFreeCopyright

Eyemouth – The Flood

The final day of 2015 saw the release of The Flood, the new EP from Swedish band Eyemouth, and the final instalment of their intent to release a quartet of EPs across last year. As its predecessors, the five track proposition is an electronic adventure for ears and imagination spun in a tapestry as raw as it is melodically seductive and as emotionally magnetic as it is thematically tempestuous. Our introduction to Eyemouth came with their excellent previous encounter Noera Genesis and there is nothing about The Flood to dampen our appetite for their compelling sound and invention.

The origins of the Göteborg hailing Eyemouth begin in 2011 with synth band Estrange and a collection of songs bred from and with a different approach to previous tracks from the Swedish band. Later that year Estrange became Eyemouth as the music continued to evolve, the likes of shaman drumming, vibraphone, tuba, and trombone being added to the expanding exploration within the band’s “more organic and instrumental direction.” It was March 2015 though, when the band’s debut release was unveiled, the Black and Blue Latitudes EP soon sparking keen attention escalated further by its successor Non Compos Mentis in June and the following Noera Genesis last September. As mentioned the final breath of last year gave up The Flood, a fourth creative tempting of light and dark textures which simply grows in ears and emotions with every passing listen.

As its predecessors, The Flood is a fusion of varied rock imagination and post rock ambience upon an electronic landscape, and as those before, a release hard to truly pin down in sound but easy to be enthralled by and lost within as shamanic rhythms alongside haunting melodies and vocals shape a tapestry of contrasting and increasingly alluring textures. It begins with I Am Never and an electronic web of pulses and punchy beats covered in welcoming yet dark lures of brass. Swiftly the quartet of Marcus Lilja, David Lilja, Tove Ekman, and Joakim Åberg has ears stirred and attention drawn, the first tempting of vocals rich enticement within the eighties hued scenery building the expanding landscape of the song. A noir colouring and expression to the encounter equally grows, especially as the quaint yet dramatic suggestiveness of the mellotron spreads across the still minimalistic but increasingly volatile exploration.

The track makes for a gripping start which only blossoms further in ears with each listen, a quality all tracks carry as shown by Pendulum. The second song also makes a low key entrance but is quick with its creative and provocative drama as that ever present tribal underbelly of rhythms and percussion cores a spreading charm of melodic and harmonic warmth aligned to melancholic beauty. Things only get richer and more unpredictable too of course; grainy industrial essences colluding with poetic folkishness and poppy rock bred imagination within the absorbing flight of sound and word.

The mellotron led visual curiousness of brief instrumental Necessitarianism follows before Away serenades the senses and thoughts with its classical keys and organic shanty like shuffle of voice and reflective melodies. An exotic air also pervades the song, a breeze blowing in varying strengths throughout the whole album where santur and accordion amongst other elements colour the unique hearts and characters of tracks and themes.

From one riveting offering to another as To Go brings The Flood to a potent close, its bewitching presence another aural fascination which is part folk song, part sea shanty, and all impressive imagination where finding new nuances and pleasures is a perpetual reward with every listen.

As Noera Genesis there is a cinematic quality to The Flood too and a ghostly air across its creative and evocative exploits which only adds to its rich and increasingly potent lure. Eyemouth are inventive drama and dark beauty for the eyes and one of Europe’s exciting emerging adventures.

The Flood EP is out now via most major online stores.

http://eyemouth.moonfruit.com/   https://www.facebook.com/eyemouthmusic/   https://twitter.com/eyemouthmusic

Pete RingMaster 04/01/2016

Copyright RingMaster: MyFreeCopyright

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