CzechMate
We were recently contacted by Czechmate, a band who describe themselves as a five piece alternative rock band from Sittingbourne in Kent. Having been working to develop their sound through touring with the likes of Tyrannosaurus Alan and Kids Can’t Fly, the band are due to release their spaning new EP, Pipe Bombs, along with a performance at the 100 Club – saying themselves that 2013 is already looking like a good year for them. Based on all of this, and seeing as they’d sent me through a copy of the EP, I figured I should check things out for myself.
Opening with Bus things get off to an upbeat and in your face start, kicking into a punk fuelled melee of guitar work and solid drumming before shifting to a more ‘rock centric’ approach, grabbing you by the face and pulling you into the bands mix. Fast paced and straight to the point, this is no frills rock music designed for a good time, the sort of thing which is going to go down a storm on the live scene, and the sort of thing which is going to get a lot of beer flowing. Throughout the track we’re shown different styles, showing the bands understanding of their craft as well as their ability to write songs, it’s one which showcases their style and sets the EP in good stead from the word go.
Moving on to Ties And Lies the theme of rock orientated punk continues, refusing to sit within one clear genre and instead, showing that it is possible to move between different ones. Upbeat throughout, this track somehow manages to hark back to the indie rock days of British rock and punk, whilst at the same time manages to sound updated and fresh – something which is no mean feat. With Me continues this approach further, once again launching us into a track which promises a hell of a lot from the word go, and manages to deliver almost immediately. Powerful riffs work with a soaring lead line to set the scene for the track, ushering in the bass and drums before the vocals complete the picture. There’s a catchy quality to things here, getting you nodding along within moments and singing along after a couple of listens – definitely a track to make sure you check out.
It’s only left then for Tonight to close the EP for us, finishing with a track which seems to hark more towards the emotional side of things, using the guitar work to set the scene and slowly building on it. The slower approach to this track is something which is going to stand it out for sure, something which sets it out as a stand out track, and something which further demonstrates the bands ability to write tracks. Closing with a track like this is a brave mood as simply, it doesn’t quite hit home as hard as some of the other tracks, but yet the guys manage to achieve it, bringing the EP full circle and leaving you knowing that this is going to be a band to check out in 2013.
For some reason I was expecting a far punkier mix with Czechmate, there was something about the way they described themselves that had me thinking I was in for an old skool punk record, but to be honest I’ve been pleasantly surprised with this one. Throughout this EP the guys push the boundaries of what should be possible on a 4 track EP, and manage to fully showcase their style despite it only being a short record. This is a band I’ll be making a point of seeing over the coming Summer, my advice to you would be to do the same.
To find out more about Czechmate, check out their Facebook page HERE.
Words: Dave Nicholls
Opening with Bus things get off to an upbeat and in your face start, kicking into a punk fuelled melee of guitar work and solid drumming before shifting to a more ‘rock centric’ approach, grabbing you by the face and pulling you into the bands mix. Fast paced and straight to the point, this is no frills rock music designed for a good time, the sort of thing which is going to go down a storm on the live scene, and the sort of thing which is going to get a lot of beer flowing. Throughout the track we’re shown different styles, showing the bands understanding of their craft as well as their ability to write songs, it’s one which showcases their style and sets the EP in good stead from the word go.
Moving on to Ties And Lies the theme of rock orientated punk continues, refusing to sit within one clear genre and instead, showing that it is possible to move between different ones. Upbeat throughout, this track somehow manages to hark back to the indie rock days of British rock and punk, whilst at the same time manages to sound updated and fresh – something which is no mean feat. With Me continues this approach further, once again launching us into a track which promises a hell of a lot from the word go, and manages to deliver almost immediately. Powerful riffs work with a soaring lead line to set the scene for the track, ushering in the bass and drums before the vocals complete the picture. There’s a catchy quality to things here, getting you nodding along within moments and singing along after a couple of listens – definitely a track to make sure you check out.
It’s only left then for Tonight to close the EP for us, finishing with a track which seems to hark more towards the emotional side of things, using the guitar work to set the scene and slowly building on it. The slower approach to this track is something which is going to stand it out for sure, something which sets it out as a stand out track, and something which further demonstrates the bands ability to write tracks. Closing with a track like this is a brave mood as simply, it doesn’t quite hit home as hard as some of the other tracks, but yet the guys manage to achieve it, bringing the EP full circle and leaving you knowing that this is going to be a band to check out in 2013.
For some reason I was expecting a far punkier mix with Czechmate, there was something about the way they described themselves that had me thinking I was in for an old skool punk record, but to be honest I’ve been pleasantly surprised with this one. Throughout this EP the guys push the boundaries of what should be possible on a 4 track EP, and manage to fully showcase their style despite it only being a short record. This is a band I’ll be making a point of seeing over the coming Summer, my advice to you would be to do the same.
To find out more about Czechmate, check out their Facebook page HERE.
Words: Dave Nicholls