Robyn Writes

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!

Tempest Live – Rosie Malones Cellar, Coventry, 2/8/12

Tempest Live is a new hardcore/metal night in Coventry, aimed at bringing the best in the area’s scene together for your pleasure. The opening show, at the Cellar in Rosie Malones Irish Bar, had a decent turn out, even if the main bar itself was getting all the attention for its Thursday night karaoke specials. But if we put karaoke and terrible Foo Fighters renditions sailing down from the main bar aside, Tempest’s first outing was a success.

Opening the night were Centauri (3.5/5), a reasonably recently formed post-hardcore group. The riffs might have had a Glassjaw tinge to them, but the singer didn’t necessarily have that Daryl Palumbo tone in the clean vocals, instead affecting an almost classic rock feel. That isn’t exactly a bad thing – it gives Centauri an edge and a swagger that they’d otherwise be lacking. There were some seriously commanding parts to their set – the second song in particular was truly indicative of what Centauri can achieve – but at times, they couldn’t decide what genre they were striving for most. However, once they experiment some more and work out a more coherent structure, Centauri should have the potential to seriously impress.

Dropping back from the headline spot to accommodate their guitarist’s rough schedule, it’s easy to see why most of the crowd left following a truly magnificent set from Even Flowers Kill (4.5/5). The intensity that their experimental post-hardcore features on record is perfectly replicated live and even in a tiny basement, with the sound desk sat on the bar, EFK sounded phenomenal. Despite a few complaints from themselves about a lack of practice, they sounded completely tight, and for a band with such complex rhythms and difficult sequences, that’s not exactly easy. The biggest highlight of the set was Song For Brad Svoboda, a song that after an incredible buildup, hits you like a freight train on record and it was no different in the Cellar that night. Despite such an intense performance, the band still managed to have a lot of fun, as was evident from some brilliant banter and some ridiculously lively Refused-style jazz sections. If this was EFK on a bad day, then I simply can’t wait to catch them at their best.

It’s a shame that Hurtseason (3/5) just couldn’t keep up with the incredible performance that they had to follow. Sounding a bit like early Trivium but with less twiddly bits, they played a solid set but with hardly any innovation and by the end, it was getting difficult to distinguish between songs. They played new single Black Waste which was suitably brutal, yet lacking in the intensity and showmanship that had preceded them. Nevertheless, they had some die hard supporters there with them, were well practised at what they do and that was more than enough to end a night of great music in Coventry.

Artist Spotlight: Even Flowers Kill

Even Flowers Kill is a Coventry based post-hardcore band, with many members originally coming from different bands in the local scene. Sat in front of me is their 2009 EP, Smile For The Camera and a more recent split with Birmingham lot The Fall, The Rise which was released in February this year. I’m going to crack open both and find out what EFK are all about.

Smile For The Camera is an assault. Opening track, ‘Ruth Has Information That Will Destroy You’ is deceptive (apparently like the Ruth it’s named for) – it starts off slowly and atmospherically before the monitor flatlines and some crushing guitars and vocals enter in. Probably the least heavy and most melodic song on the EP, it lulls you into a false sense of security before the rest destroy all of your preconceptions. An electronic presence is first felt in this track, but it doesn’t overwhelm here or in the rest of the EP. Nevertheless, the electronics add a completely new and interesting element to the sound. This carries through especially to the next track, ‘I Love You Kerry McKenna, Please Come Home (And Bring The Kids) with some incredible clean vocals and a sneaky electronic breakdown before an intense middle section. There’s a clear The Fall Of Troy influence in the guitar tone and frenetic riffs throughout the EP and it’s probably the most noticeable in this track, but the spoken word sections and great musicianship stop it from straying into copycat territory.

The third track, ‘Dick Wang Is A Dirty Stinking Liar (What Octopus)’ is full of cheeky Goonies references, from its title to some great gang cries along the lines of “HEY YOU GUYS!” Despite cranking the amps up to 11 for the most part, the song ends with an incredible melodic sequence – for those who think that the ‘mathcore’ tendencies might be a bit inaccessible, this proves it all wrong. While it’s obvious that EFK can play well, this is proof that they can certainly write well. Track number four, ‘Machiavelli vs. The Little Prince’ is again, deceptive. It starts off calm with a slight jazzy tone before moving right into a punishing chugging riff and some seriously throaty growls. The breakdown towards the middle of this is absolutely incredible and one of the most intense moments on the EP. Final track, ‘I Am Jack’s Smirking Revenge’ holds true to its name and is utterly relentless the whole way through. The screams towards the end are utterly harrowing and EFK take all the risks in this, interjecting moments with harmonica and messing about with some crazy time signatures. It all pays off though to create an increasingly intense experience. In a way, the inclusion of a bonus track seems off – the EP itself is well rounded without it. The bonus track itself is a great song, with the same kind of melodic thread running through it as the rest of the songs but perhaps should have been included amongst the rest as opposed to being put at the end.

The split with The Fall, The Rise is equally as impressive as the EP. The Fall, The Rise’s half of the split counterbalances EFK’s perfectly – it’s far less heavy but equally as well crafted and is reminiscent of At The Drive In’s softer moment with some Foo Fighters thrown in for good measure. The second track, ‘A Selfish Man’, in particular has a great chorus and some catchy moments in the bridge. Perfect driving music. Nevertheless, EFK’s half of the split has more of an edge and just takes the spotlight. ‘Song For Brad Svoboda’ is the most atmospheric song on offer here, opening with some dark Western style guitars and a heartfelt spoken word goodbye to a good friend. The sudden shift from this to pounding guitars and gut-wrenching screams is incredible, fully demonstrating the pain of grief that the song is desperate to portray alongside an honest and touching eulogy. ‘By The Jaw Of St Jerome’ is the most technically impressive song from the EFK collection as they pull out all the stops in an aggressive attack on your ears. ‘Play For The Angels’ features yet another incredible breakdown and rounds off an excellent collection of tracks. Only one complaint – the whole EP has been mixed far too quietly!

Even Flowers Kill are an impressive band. If you like your music to be challenging yet melodic, aggressive yet heartfelt and beautifully written to boot, then EFK are the band for you. Perfect for both the darkest depths of winter and the height of summer, the two releases here are more than relevant right now. Pick it up if you’re a fan of good music.

4 out of 5 high fives!

Check out the split between The Fall, The Rise and Even Flowers Kill at Damage Limitation Records