Dirty Magic
To Exeter now to check out Dirty Magic, a band originally formed in 2006 before going through numerous line up changes until finally settling in 2011 with their current line-up of Lewis, Darren, Nate, Boodan and Matt. Incorporating elements of heavy groove around modern, often psychedelic themes, catchy melodic hooks and thunderous riffs, this promises to be an EP to bow down and worship. We were sent through a link to their full EP, Call It What You Will, to check out, so I thought it only right I see what was going on!
The Prologue which leads us into the EP beginning certainly suggests good things, building into a soaring riff through deep pounding drums and distortion laden guitar lines, all melding together to form a mix which is impossible to resist. Trust Me continues this theme, launching you into the track head first and keeping the pace moving for the entire track. Pounding drums, gravelly vocals, hammering guitars and a rumbling bass line all work in perfect unison to create a song which isn’t metal, yet isn’t any other genre either, it’s kind of a mix of groovy, funky distortedness! The sound from the band may well be unique, but their song writing has all of the catchiness which you could possibly want from a band like this, throwing out hook after hook to keep you involved and moving along with them – this is the sort of track which is going to slay on the live scene for sure!
Faith Cage seems to offer us a marked change in the progression of the album, slowing everything down to an acoustic guitar line underpinned by a soaring lead line, the bass roving around in the background to keep that funky edge running through things. There’s a real sense of mid 90’s rock going on here, it’s got that sort of feel of bands like Live and similar, but this is all thrown out of the window as the track breaks. Throwing into a hammering melee of distorted riffs, the contrast between hard and soft adds a further dimension to things, turning this into a track which doesn’t simply plod along going through the motions, instead keeping you interested as to what’s going to come next. Fire Works doesn’t make any preconceptions about the sort of track you’re in for, launching you straight into a hammering track fuelled by distortion and keeping you engaged from start to finish. The build up to the track sounds akin to early metal bands, but the overall vibe of things here is far fresher, far more updated and new, sounding like a reincarnation of some of the bands we grew up loving. The riff here is simply stunning, keeping things simple yet working to craft another track which is going to be lapped up on the live circuit.
Right Side Of The Grave shows off the heavier side of the band once again, launching into a track which could well fall into the thrash side of things, yet holding more power and venom than you’d expect. Fast paced, distorted and full to the brim with moments designed to get live crowds moving along, this is the sort of track which you’re going to put on in the car then end up getting done for speeding. All too soon reaching the end of the EP we’re left with Memory Remedy to close things, a final moment on the record which demonstrates that this could well be a band to check out. Fast paced yet refined and well produced, this final moment on the EP leaves you with one final chance to realise just how well this band work as a unit, just how tight their music is and just why you need to get out there and check them out! Catchy, powerful and raw, this final track stands out as a serious highpoint on the EP and one which you need to make sure you check out.
Dirty Magic have crafted one hell of an EP here, throwing out tracks which seem like they were crafted in a day gone by, yet adding their own sense of freshness to things to keep it alive and moving. The overall feel of the EP is one of power and distortion, yet when you listen to it you realise there’s much more to it than that, adding in further elements which pull you in and make you want to hear more and more. In all, this is an EP which you need to make sure you check out!
To find out more about Dirty Magic, check out their Facebook page HERE.
Words: Dave Nicholls
The Prologue which leads us into the EP beginning certainly suggests good things, building into a soaring riff through deep pounding drums and distortion laden guitar lines, all melding together to form a mix which is impossible to resist. Trust Me continues this theme, launching you into the track head first and keeping the pace moving for the entire track. Pounding drums, gravelly vocals, hammering guitars and a rumbling bass line all work in perfect unison to create a song which isn’t metal, yet isn’t any other genre either, it’s kind of a mix of groovy, funky distortedness! The sound from the band may well be unique, but their song writing has all of the catchiness which you could possibly want from a band like this, throwing out hook after hook to keep you involved and moving along with them – this is the sort of track which is going to slay on the live scene for sure!
Faith Cage seems to offer us a marked change in the progression of the album, slowing everything down to an acoustic guitar line underpinned by a soaring lead line, the bass roving around in the background to keep that funky edge running through things. There’s a real sense of mid 90’s rock going on here, it’s got that sort of feel of bands like Live and similar, but this is all thrown out of the window as the track breaks. Throwing into a hammering melee of distorted riffs, the contrast between hard and soft adds a further dimension to things, turning this into a track which doesn’t simply plod along going through the motions, instead keeping you interested as to what’s going to come next. Fire Works doesn’t make any preconceptions about the sort of track you’re in for, launching you straight into a hammering track fuelled by distortion and keeping you engaged from start to finish. The build up to the track sounds akin to early metal bands, but the overall vibe of things here is far fresher, far more updated and new, sounding like a reincarnation of some of the bands we grew up loving. The riff here is simply stunning, keeping things simple yet working to craft another track which is going to be lapped up on the live circuit.
Right Side Of The Grave shows off the heavier side of the band once again, launching into a track which could well fall into the thrash side of things, yet holding more power and venom than you’d expect. Fast paced, distorted and full to the brim with moments designed to get live crowds moving along, this is the sort of track which you’re going to put on in the car then end up getting done for speeding. All too soon reaching the end of the EP we’re left with Memory Remedy to close things, a final moment on the record which demonstrates that this could well be a band to check out. Fast paced yet refined and well produced, this final moment on the EP leaves you with one final chance to realise just how well this band work as a unit, just how tight their music is and just why you need to get out there and check them out! Catchy, powerful and raw, this final track stands out as a serious highpoint on the EP and one which you need to make sure you check out.
Dirty Magic have crafted one hell of an EP here, throwing out tracks which seem like they were crafted in a day gone by, yet adding their own sense of freshness to things to keep it alive and moving. The overall feel of the EP is one of power and distortion, yet when you listen to it you realise there’s much more to it than that, adding in further elements which pull you in and make you want to hear more and more. In all, this is an EP which you need to make sure you check out!
To find out more about Dirty Magic, check out their Facebook page HERE.
Words: Dave Nicholls