Robyn Writes

Vera Grace – The Lucifer Effect

Despite being a relatively young band, formed in early 2011, the boys that are Vera Grace have toured tirelessly throughout the UK, earning themselves a reputation for destructive live shows and engaging every crowd. Now they are entering a make or break period in which they will be hoping to take 2013 by storm with the release of their new EP ‘The Lucifer Effect’ on February 7 2013.

Forged in the quiet town of Witney, a matter of miles away from Oxford University, the unsigned band can see their efforts mirrored by their fellow Oxonians, both being full of potential and bloody hard working.

Following their debut EP, ‘Rotations’, in October 2011, Vera Grace have built upon their reputation for crunching live shows with a violent brand of riff raging metalcore, noticeably taking influences from bands like Underoath amongst others.

The new EP gives pride of position to the raw, emotional, raspy vocal style of Stephen Nulty, backed by melodic but ferocious riffs and pounding drums. The thundering composition and infectious melodies show what Vera Grace can deliver, with lyrics that are solid even if they are nothing especially original or deep and meaningful, covering most of the typical themes from evil to a lack of human morality. However, even though the energy, honest lyrics and haunting riffs display all the best parts of the band’s sound, the vocals lack a degree of depth and power that is possessed by a lot of bands on the metalcore/hardcore scene.

That said, one song that goes some way to justifying the comparison to students at Oxford is the first track, “Carrier”. This isn’t because it is about tea and scones; it doesn’t have lyrics about boat races, but what it does have is a slow and purposeful rhythm, showing that the band really thought about this song and it wasn’t just the result playing all of their instruments as loudly as possible until a tune stuck. I’m not saying that is how most metal bands get together to record an EP, but when you listen to “Carrier” it is immediately obvious that the whole song has been constructed in a very precise way, something that is hardly characteristic of metalcore music.

Third track, “The Father’s Eyes”, shows another glimpse of the promise that Vera Grace hold for the future, but the repetition in the chorus can become monotonous. While it might have seemed like a point worth repeating at the time of writing the song, only the band will know whether its repetition was worth the sacrifice of any diversity and originality they could have injected in its place.

Judging by the EP in its entirety, there are a few things that need to be done if the band’s raw potential is to be transformed into something bigger and stronger which can hold its own in the wider world of music. Nevertheless, if they take the time to perfect their writing style a bit more and try to strengthen and bulk up the vocals, they promise to be on the frontline of what could be a new wave of metalcore.

2.5 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!

Ashes of Maybelle – We Are In Stasis [EP]

The Coventry scene like to keep themselves busy. New projects seem to be born every five minutes, and most of them are pretty spectacular. Ashes of Maybelle are one such band. Not content with being in several other bands, this bunch got together to craft one absolutely mind-blowing EP.

We Are In Stasis kicks off with a realm of terror generally associated with black metal. Absolutely frenetic from the opening, with blood curdling vocals, ‘Black And Grey’ is a fantastic way to begin a record. Although it’s certainly far simpler than some of the other projects that the AoM members have taken part in, it loses none of the brutality and none of the vitality. Not content with just heavy heavy breakdowns, the clean vocals that kick in towards the middle take the track in an entirely new direction.

It is the clean vocals that are the true highlight of We Are In Stasis – not just because they add a distinctly different flavour to each track, but because this is where AoM’s incredible songwriting talent comes out to play. In order for it to fit into the track, the band blend seamlessly from gut-wrenching riffs to beautiful guitar melodies. They never feel out of place either, which is further testament to the band’s skill. It’s almost like Ashes of Maybelle have no idea what genre they fit in to and give not a single fuck about it, which quite frankly, rules.

There’s still plenty of mental hardcore bits to sink your teeth into at various points. At about four minutes into ‘Drag Out Your Dead’, there’s a stupendous part that’s filled with hardcore sensibilities and a keen sense of how to write a hook. The track as a whole is fear inducingly awesome, especially lyrically – there are moments that, if you’re listening to this on your own, will absolutely make you lose your shit. Don’t worry, it’s all totally worth it for the guitar solo towards the end of the track.

‘The Defeo Mind’ has certainly got a dirgier feel to it – if you’ve not wanted to go stalking through a dead forest in the pitch black, you might well do now. The last section goes on for a bit too long though, and the track loses some of its previous urgency. This is all fully made up for by ‘Among Thieves’. Not only does it have some of the best gang vocals I’ve heard this year in it at the end, but it’s a total call to arms. If you weren’t convinced at the start, you sure as hell will be by the end.

Ashes of Maybelle have crafted a very well produced aural nightmare. If you like your post-hardcore with a touch of sinister, you certainly won’t want to miss out on this.

4 out of 5 high fives!

Shout out: new Bad Religion album on YouTube!

Oh what’s that, THE ENTIRETY OF TRUE NORTH ON YOUTUBE, YOU SAY?

I love Bad Religion so much. And it’s a bloody amazing album. Treat your ears.

Introducing: Fort Hope

When neon-coated electro-hunks My Passion called it a day after seven glorious years, my synthy little heart was well and truly broken. I, like many others, had taken My Passion to heart and spent most of my disposable income shadowing them around the country from show to shining show. So, when the inevitable ‘we’ve moved onto pastures new’ statement surfaced, I was left with two blisteringly good albums, a stack of promo CDs, good memories and a huge, swirling, lyric tattoo. When My Passion were good, they were phenomenal; their throbbing synths and roaring choruses could make the dead dance. After a Kerrang! cover, some lucrative support slots and a delightfully homoerotic ‘golden tour’ (shirtless guys and gold body paint; you had to be there), it seemed that My Passion’s upward trajectory was to continue indefinitely. But then came the silence, the departure of long-standing guitarist John Be (and subsequent employment of Andé D’Mello) and two small festival sets. Kerrang! soon moved on like the fickle mistress it is; shifting its focus towards other visual-centric bands such as Yashin and Fearless Vampire Killers. My Passion ended their reign, not with a bang or a whimper, but with a death rattle. A disappointing performance at Hitchin’s Rhythms of the World festival (where the sound quality could be replicated by placing a bucket on your head and throwing yourself down an elevator shaft) was followed by a prolonged period of silence and then the inevitable; official split via social media. A statement of clichés, followed by a slew of sad emoticons; this wasn’t the crazy hammer-to-the-heart group I fell in love with.
But then came the cryptic tweets; January 13th was a big day. I, like many others, held my breath and hoped for something other than the announcement of yet another small clothing line. Thankfully, the ‘big reveal’ was Fort Hope; a new, far more radio-friendly project from four previous My Passion members. Essentially, everyone except former lead vocalist Laurence Rene. Rene’s absence in Fort Hope is very much the elephant in the room, and I hate to be the arsehole to point it out, but here we are. Was Laurence ostracised, or was his DJing his true passion? (pardon the pun). Was this the reason for My Passion’s demise? The internet is alive with presumptions and conjecture, all of which is hard to ignore. Before one even clicks on Fort Hope’s ‘play’ button, it’d be easy to presume that this would be My Passion 2.0. Same synths, different day. Five seconds in and your preconceptions are not only shattered, but thrown into a blender and strapped to a passing horse. Fort Hope are, in the nicest way, the antithesis of all that My Passion was. Gone are the incomprehensibly bizarre lyrics, gone is the heavy electro influence and gone is the relentless, upbeat dance element. The keyboards have been packed away with all previous pomp and ceremony. Everything has been stripped back to pure, raw musicianship; this isn’t so much as a rebirth as an entirely different beast.
‘Control’ is the only track widely available online, and although it can’t speak for the rest of their music, it certainly acts as a showcase of all Fort Hope’s individual talents and the burgeoning potential of them as a collective. Featuring previous My Passion members in their usual positions (Andé D’Mello – Guitar, Jamie Nicholls – Drums, Simon Rowlands – Bass), the most noticeable difference is with Jon Gaskin. In My Passion over the years, he set his hand to drums, guitar, keyboards/synths and finally, singing. Gaskin is a veritable polymath in the music world. He can turn his hand to seemingly any instrument with impressive results, yet his true talent was made all the more evident in My Passion’s final album ‘Inside this Machine’. Gaskin’s added vocals lifted the entire album. His enviable natural tone and control was made to shine, not to play second fiddle to another vocalist.
In Fort Hope, or more directly, in ‘Control’, his voice is presented raw and naked and is, surprise surprise, bloody fantastic. ‘Control’ begins with exposed vocals, but soon weaves itself an iron web; beautiful and delicate, but strong and well crafted. The track retains its Gentle and tentative sense, but begins to command attention with each bar and phrase. As the song progresses into a thundering chorus, parallels can be soon drawn with the stylings of Young Guns and Mallory Knox. While they all possess a similar sound, ‘Control’ bears a sense of maturity and sincerity that’s hard to replicate. The melody is catchy as hell, the lyrics are well considered and the simple guitar line couldn’t be sweeter if it was remade at Cadbury’s. Finally, and refreshingly, the bass and drums are used as perfect devices to fatten up growing verses and rousing choruses. The falling harmonies in the vocal line ‘out of control’ are so powerful, but so perfectly measured, that any band caught listening would soon find themselves with an attack of the green-eyed monster. Instrumentally, everything is equal; there are no indulgent trills, fills or solos. There really is no fat to trim.
If there ever was a perfect way to rise from the ashes, then Fort Hope not only achieved it, but tore it up, made sweet, sweet love to it and put it on a plinth. If ‘Control’ is the shape of things to come, then I think we might just see the creation of the world’s new favourite band.