Robyn Writes

Artist Spotlight: Trails

Mention the word Surrey and the first things to pop into your head will probably be serene English countryside, quaint market towns and snooty people in 4×4’s ploughing through country lanes. With this in mind, Surrey is one of last places you’d expect to produce a supremely talented and intellectual yet angry young rock band. And no, I’m not talking about You Me At Six. I’m referring to Trails, four young lads from the cosy middle-class confines of Guildford who create a kind of deceptively complex math-infused rock music that encompasses punk, eclectic progressive rock and everything in-between. They join the likes of fellow noiseniks and Guildfordians Polar in shunning the stigma of growing up in an undeniably middle-class town and spending the latter days of their youth shouting at people in grotty little venues. Their latest E.P, Signs, marks their second release since their inception at the tail end of 2010, a record that they describe as “like an all you can eat buffet except we can guarantee that you’ll throw up in a gluttonous fit before it ends.” Their youthful angst shows no sign of wavering, but the band have twisted and moulded the brash punk outbursts of their previous release into new realms of vitriol- driven musical ventures.

Trails dish out heaviness and clarity in equal measure, without fully committing themselves to either camp. To balance demonic screams and crushing riffs with melodic intuitions and instrumental introspection is a practice that is often attempted but rarely pulled off with a seamless finesse with which Trails succeed at the task. Storming breakdowns give way to soaring vocal lines and soulful blues-ridden guitar solos that Slash would be proud of. Take the title track of the E.P for instance, four minutes of bi-polar punk that one second consists of edge-of-your-seat hardcore that leads into a chorus of staccato chords before coming to a close with a punishing half-time breakdown. This lays in brilliant juxtaposition to the track that follows – ‘Sinatra’, a slow paced number with vocals that are full of anguish, showcasing their ability for restraint for the benefit of emotional intensity.

The band’s sound is constantly evolving and despite it only being their second release, the jump from their debut E.P to Signs is one that some bands take several albums to accomplish. This constantly changing approach to song creation lays at the heart of the band’s forward thinking ethos, their central mantra being: “Sound like everybody and nobody at once”, a somewhat paradoxical statement but one that fits perfectly when it’s applied to their output. Expectantly, the band draws from an increasingly wide array of influences, some implicit and others that are decidedly outside of the box. Signs brings together a host of these influences into one tasty punk rock goulash. On show is the schizophrenic punk guitar wizardry of RX Bandits and newer Propagandhi, coupled with Biffy Clyro’s penchant for off-kilter pop sensibilities and rampant tempo changes. This solid musical core is topped off with the raw, driving modern punk of The Bronx and smatterings of The Mars Volta, minus the overindulgence. Oh yes, and the one band that is idolised by everyone from Fugazi to your dad – Queen. Although there’s no talk of sprawling rock operas, it shouldn’t be completely ruled out, especially given the group’s musical deftness and their main song writing aim “to write with no boundaries.”

Despite their vast musical palette, the band’s outlook and business practices remain decidedly punk in nature with the band recently joining the increasingly impressive roster of the defiantly independent Lockjaw records. A label such as Lockjaw pays dividends for the band, providing support whilst allowing the boys artistic endeavours to develop at their own pace. The group are extremely happy with their relationship with the label- “They’re the perfect kind of indie label who are more than happy for us to keep creative control of everything, so we’re just as comfortable in our own skin as we were before!” Taking the D.I.Y aesthetic even further, the production for Signs was helmed by guitarist Will, allowing the group to nail down the sound they had been striving for. Such an approach produces added bonuses – “this obviously saved us a penny or two as well which always helps being a self funded band.”

The UK rock scene has been recently bolstered by a small group of bands who have emerged intact from the gruelling grind of the toilet circuit into the mainstream conscious of the British public. Acts like Lower Than Atlantis and of course rock giants Biffy Clyro have been receiving substantial airplay on Radio One. Asked how they fit into the contemporary British rock scene, Trails are well aware that their sound has a foot in punk and alternative rock circles – “as a result we don’t neatly slot into either which enables us to partake in both, which can be both good and bad”. Unperturbed that their unique, twisted approach to the rock song often ends with many of the crowd scratching their heads in confusion, Trails have committed themselves wholeheartedly to the touring lifestyle, a way of living that can get the better of some bands. “Waking up hungover on your friend’s kitchen floor with cereal stuck to your face might sound like an unenjoyable experience but after a rock show it’s the dream,” they declare. Despite live music being reported in certain media outlets as under-attended and under-funded, Trails have encountered scenes across the country that are thriving – “the shows that we enjoy playing the most are the ones with real community spirit; for example, our recent dates in Scotland, which were some of the best we’ve ever done.”

Sure, the band may only be two years in existence but already there are plans for an album in late 2013 as well as a promo tour booked for Signs in March across the UK and Europe in April. Asked about their ambitions for the band, their answer is modest but not without humour – “We just want to continue making music that we enjoy making and smashing it into the ear drums of the unsuspecting passers-by.”

Trails are Will, Sam, James and Adam. Signs is out on the 1st of March 2013 on Lockjaw Records.

Wet Nuns – Broken Teeth [EP]

Wet Nuns are two dudes, one plays guitar and one plays drums. Together they churn out fuzzy-as-fuck red-eyed blues rock that is much more akin to the sounds of the delirious and unforgiving Arizona desert than of the lush Yorkshire Dales. Their latest EP Broken Teeth marks the next step in the duo’s raising profile after a momentous 2012 saw stacks of praise heaped upon them for their incendiary and increasingly notorious live shows, as well as being bestowed with Artrocker’s award for Video Of The Year.

Despite the potential drawbacks of using only one amplified instrument, the guitars form an impregnable wall of fuzz so thick and all consuming that guitarist Rob must have to wear a lifebelt to avoid drowning in it. The down-tuned strings fill out the low end, the fuzz flooding into any dead space within the mix that is looked after by producer Ross Orten of MIA and The Kills fame. The riffs are furious slabs of hard rock infused with gritty blues and the smoke of several hundred spliffs. Not consigned to simple moronic chuggery, Rob repeatedly runs up and down the fret board, showing some rather inventive guitar work manifesting most obviously on the title track’s bluesy licks. Drums are beaten with all the subtlety of a coked-up Andre the Giant wielding two cricket bats as stickman Alexis is seemingly unable to decide whether to hit the skins to within an inch of their lives or simply demolish his kit. Together the instruments create a cacophony that renders any other instrumentation ultimately futile; leaving only room for Rob’s gritty howl which is so coarse and ragged he must surely eat gravel for breakfast, washed down with a few Marlboro reds for good measure. ‘All The Young Girls’ eschews haunting backing vocals whilst standout track ‘Laura’ is an ode to every male teenage rock fan’s enthrallment with girls who play guitars with Rob growling “I wish I was that geetar!” over a stomping blues barrage.

‘Broken Teeth’ is music that demands you reach for the whiskey and become a drunken, sweaty mess. Its raw sexuality and pure aggression will have you coming back for fix after fix of Wet Nuns’ ‘death blues’; an exhilarating joy from start to finish.

4.5 out of 5 high fives!

Monolith – A Votive Offering [EP]

A Votive Offering is the latest E.P from young metal purveyors Monolith.  Kindly given away free by the band, the twelve minute track, divided into four parts, should be avoided by those with a weak disposition or anyone who doesn’t posses an overt fondness for pulverizing, unforgiving beatdowns or caustic, intensely aggravated vocals.

For anyone unfamiliar with Monolith, the band specialises in a brand of devilishly heavy hardcore, incorporating off-kilter riffs delivered with an unrestrained anger Vinnie Jones could only dream of.  Their debut E.P- I, Misanthrope was an exercise in sheer aural brutality, but with their latest release the band have upped their game across the board, although any wholehearted concept of subtlety remains defiantly absent.  What’s instantly palpable is that the Meshuggah influence has been dragged to the forefront, with riffs eschewing Fredrik Thordendal’s enduring legacy of convoluted mathematically precise metal, which rains down relentlessly.  The constant terror allows little breathing space for the listener in lieu of an unremittingly intense listening experience.  The opening wall of foreboding feedback and the scene setting sample provide one of the few respites from the bludgeoning assault, providing a sinister backdrop to the fierce cacophony from which there appears to be no salvation.  Techy as it may be, the band are well aware of the power that simplicity can provide.  Several times they drop into more straightforward but no less aggressive moments of brutality to keep those with a penchant for hurling themselves round the pit satisfied.  Some highly inventive drum work fires off complex poly-rhythmic blasts, using every inch of the kit whilst remaining impeccably tight.  Vocals growl unremittingly and it is an object of wonder as to how the vocalists throat can withstand such a battering without being torn apart by the sheer force with which every line of lyrics are delivered.

A Votive Offering is a record that hovers eagerly on musical boundaries, facing uncharted waters which the band has more than demonstrated they have the ability to explore and warp to their own twisted liking.  The sheer level of musical competency and progressive intuitions belies the band’s short lifespan as well as the young age of the members themselves.  If, with only their second release, Monolith are making music so tantalizingly complex and powerful, then at this point their potential knows no bounds.

4.5 out of 5 high fives!

Galactic Cannibal – Demo Tape

The latest demo tape from US punks Galactic Cannibal comprises of four tracks of no-frills gruff pop punk with the emphasis leaning very much towards the ‘punk’. Upon first listen, the aplomb with which the songs are delivered is instantly palpable. Lead singer Peter J Woods eschews half-sung, half-shouted blasts of lyrics from his haggard sounding vocal chords, deploring the world and fractured society in typically unsubtle punk style.

But underneath their ruff n’ ready exterior is a certain jollity which drives the songs along and injects them with a somewhat unique positive energy which few bands can authentically muster. ‘Hate Everything More’ is the perfect attention grabbing opener – “Hey! What you waiting for? Surrender to the world” Peter screams over blistering drums and viciously strummed power chords. This is four-chord punk at its best- gritty and straight to the point. The not so cryptically entitled ‘We’re Fucked’ maintains the breakneck tempo and introduces a melodic lead guitar line straight out of the pop punk handbook as Peter continues his scathing attack on society with contempt-filled shouts of “this world fucking sucks”. ‘Air Runs Dry’ begins with Peter melodically hollering over a distorted three chord riff before the band joins the party, leading up to a crescendo of anguished screams that declare “Take these arms away!”. Final track ‘Up Against The Wall’ kicks off with a classic pop punk riff, a deliciously simple lead guitar line and supremely disgruntled vocals. The track sees the band employ simple yet effective dynamics that holds back their collective attack before releasing it with unquestionable anger for one final blast of fury.

The ten minute demo is a brilliant little nugget of pop punk that stays mostly on the angry side of things. Whilst it doesn’t break any new ground, it does emit an infectious energy that is hard to rebuff. Galactic Cannibal’s back to basics style of punk rock proves that sometimes less is much, much more. This is in-your-face pop punk, with bells on.

4 out of 5 high fives!

Odessa – Carry The Weight

There are several things that pop into my head as soon as the word ‘metalcore’ has been slowly absorbed by my brain, and most of them don’t place the sub-genre in a particularly good light. For whatever reason the very first thing I associate with metalcore is “vest”, the second is “breakdown”. The third word that floats around inside my fuzzy noggin is “generic”, but then again the millions of metalcore fans around the world seem pretty happy listening to varying minutely-altered variations on the same idea. Emerging from Birmingham, a city with a fruitful heavy music pedigree, five-piece metalcore outfit Odessa bring their own take on beatdowns and vest wearing in the form of debut full length Carry The Weight.

Odessa have only been a band for about three years, but what is instantly palpable is that these five Midland lads are extremely musically competent, eschewing versatile riffs and nuances that are often intrinsically melodic. Carry The Weight features polished production that metalcore of this type typically demands, albeit to the detriment of any notion of the term “organic”, leaving the drums sounding robotic and robbed of much of their dynamics. Synthetic as it may be, the polish means that breakdowns hit hard whilst more melodically inclined moments are delivered with clarity. One aspect that can not be doubted is the sincerity with which vocalist Richard delivers growled snippets of bleak emotional turmoil. “You’re a memory I won’t dwell on” he screams on ‘Animosity’, a track which showcases the band’s dynamic ability as they alter tempo, switching from fast riffs to half-time chuggathon with ease. Each song however, rumbles past with at least one obligatory breakdown thrown in for good measure; each mosh moment seemingly trying to outdo the one before.

Unfortunately for Odessa, every track on the album sounds like it could have been written and played by pretty much every other metalcore band; bar the ones who have now decided that placing plodding synth-lines over the top of breakdowns is a good idea. The band seems to posses little or no desire whatsoever to commit themselves to creating any inkling of a distinctive sound or personality. Instead, Carry The Weight plays like a checklist for metalcore clichés. Whether it be the odd song of heartfelt ‘clean’ vocals in the chorus in ‘Breaking Point’ & ‘Carry The Weight’, the uninspired recycled riffs or the now annoyingly commonplace “bleugh” sound countless vocalists now employ to announce the arrival of a particularly br00tal breakdown, such as the particularly heavy end of final track ‘Complications’. It’s a shame really, that a band who obviously possess dexterity with their instruments and such a passion for heavy music choose to focus so much energy on imitating their similarly uninspired peers rather than providing pathways for which the tiring sub-genre can hobble towards genuinely exciting musical avenues. They certainly deserve an ‘A’ for effort, but an ‘F’ for originality.

2.5 out of 5 high fives!