Greet Deeds - Disastrochimp
We featured Great Deeds what seems like ages ago, and even to this day they’ve been one of those bands that I’ve kept an eye on, watched what they’ve been up to, and wanted to hear more from! As such, when they got in touch about their new EP, Disastrochimp, I was looking forward to seeing what they’d been up to in the time since we last caught up with them. Released on the 21st of October, this is an EP that I’ve been looking forward to hearing, so figure you lot will probably want a reason why you should check it out.
Well – I’ll give you 5.
Opening with Bulb (the video to which can be seen below) the EP builds up gradually, luring you into listen harder and hinting at what there is to follow. It’s a steady start but this helps to build the anticipation, the feedback line leading the way into the track starting properly, and showing off the new style from Great Deeds. Gone are the old ‘out there’ style riffs and here is a new band, a band offering up an almost thrash like approach to the guitar work intertwined with ‘out there’ (yeah maybe I spoke too soon) bass and vocal lines – it’s like a mix of Primus with Slayer….which isn’t something I thought I’d ever hear. Despite this odd mix, it works, and the EP gets off to a solid start, showing us what we can expect from the rest of the EP ahead.
Or so I thought.
Moving onto Tongue, we’re once again returned to the almost free form jazz like moments of their other stuff, only combined with an almost hardcore approach to the vocals, once again presenting us with a mix unlike the first track, and unlike anything I’ve ever come across. This strange conglomeration of jazz bass and roaring vocals combines with the syncopated drums and pounding bass rhythms to form something that I want to move along to, I’m just not sure how to – but hell, it works! Brick presents us with some sort of normality finally, opening with a sludgy guitar contrasting against a soft and acoustic one, still managing to create an individual sound but this time, focusing on a more straight forward and accessible style of sound. To me, this track is one which will help people connect with the band, the sort of track which allows people to embrace what they’re hearing and want to hear more of the band. Despite this ‘straight forward’ approach there’s still the bands signature approach within the track, still combining the heavy with the soft, and still refusing to follow the conventions of anyone other than themselves - something which is damned admirable I might add!
Leger brings us back to the jazz like guitar work, this time adding a sense of distortion to the riffs and forming a sound which is upbeat, moving, and the sort of thing which is going to be insane to witness on the live scene. Combining the guitars with more of that awesome roving bass and pounding drum rhythms, the track seems to build around you, not giving away where it’s going but still managing to hook you in and keep you listening. It seems too soon then when we reach Blueprint to finish the album, closing with a soft and acoustic guitar line before moving once more back towards the syncopated elements which make Great Deeds stand out so much. This final track is another more conventional track on the EP, and shows the development of the band, showing where they’ve come from whilst still managing to show where they’re headed off to. Personally, I really like the whole album, but there’s something about this final track which stands out as the sort of track people will go for – a fitting close to things, and a moment which is sure to hook people on to Great Deeds.
What I’ve always been impressed with in regards to Great Deeds is their approach to music – they do what they want to do, regardless of what anyone else out there is going. This EP is further testament to their drive to develop, their mission to change the face of music, and the results of their hardwork. I for one can’t wait to see where they head to next, mainly because what ever it is, it’s going to be damned interesting to hear!
To find out more about Great Deeds, check out their Facebook page HERE.
Check out the video for Bulb below!
Words: Dave Nicholls
Well – I’ll give you 5.
Opening with Bulb (the video to which can be seen below) the EP builds up gradually, luring you into listen harder and hinting at what there is to follow. It’s a steady start but this helps to build the anticipation, the feedback line leading the way into the track starting properly, and showing off the new style from Great Deeds. Gone are the old ‘out there’ style riffs and here is a new band, a band offering up an almost thrash like approach to the guitar work intertwined with ‘out there’ (yeah maybe I spoke too soon) bass and vocal lines – it’s like a mix of Primus with Slayer….which isn’t something I thought I’d ever hear. Despite this odd mix, it works, and the EP gets off to a solid start, showing us what we can expect from the rest of the EP ahead.
Or so I thought.
Moving onto Tongue, we’re once again returned to the almost free form jazz like moments of their other stuff, only combined with an almost hardcore approach to the vocals, once again presenting us with a mix unlike the first track, and unlike anything I’ve ever come across. This strange conglomeration of jazz bass and roaring vocals combines with the syncopated drums and pounding bass rhythms to form something that I want to move along to, I’m just not sure how to – but hell, it works! Brick presents us with some sort of normality finally, opening with a sludgy guitar contrasting against a soft and acoustic one, still managing to create an individual sound but this time, focusing on a more straight forward and accessible style of sound. To me, this track is one which will help people connect with the band, the sort of track which allows people to embrace what they’re hearing and want to hear more of the band. Despite this ‘straight forward’ approach there’s still the bands signature approach within the track, still combining the heavy with the soft, and still refusing to follow the conventions of anyone other than themselves - something which is damned admirable I might add!
Leger brings us back to the jazz like guitar work, this time adding a sense of distortion to the riffs and forming a sound which is upbeat, moving, and the sort of thing which is going to be insane to witness on the live scene. Combining the guitars with more of that awesome roving bass and pounding drum rhythms, the track seems to build around you, not giving away where it’s going but still managing to hook you in and keep you listening. It seems too soon then when we reach Blueprint to finish the album, closing with a soft and acoustic guitar line before moving once more back towards the syncopated elements which make Great Deeds stand out so much. This final track is another more conventional track on the EP, and shows the development of the band, showing where they’ve come from whilst still managing to show where they’re headed off to. Personally, I really like the whole album, but there’s something about this final track which stands out as the sort of track people will go for – a fitting close to things, and a moment which is sure to hook people on to Great Deeds.
What I’ve always been impressed with in regards to Great Deeds is their approach to music – they do what they want to do, regardless of what anyone else out there is going. This EP is further testament to their drive to develop, their mission to change the face of music, and the results of their hardwork. I for one can’t wait to see where they head to next, mainly because what ever it is, it’s going to be damned interesting to hear!
To find out more about Great Deeds, check out their Facebook page HERE.
Check out the video for Bulb below!
Words: Dave Nicholls
Great Deeds
We were recently contacted by Great Deeds to check out what they’ve got going on with their EP Brick + 1. Describing their music as Punk/Math Rock/Alternative, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from these guys from Sheffield. Saying themselves that they play songs which are faster than they should be, more melodic than people think they should be, and songs which are a little less complicated than they first sound, I figured this was going to be one hell of an interesting ride!
Opening with Brick there’s a real sense of melody created from the moment it begins. Strange and eerie backing music builds up around quickly spat vocals, the whole mix harking towards something to come, the occasional snippets of distortion giving you a hint at what that might be. What’s most striking though is the layered vocals which create a sound which you can’t help but love, they pull you in and make you want to hear more and more. Launching into the distorted sound fully, everything seems to move from calm into a realm of more power, allowing you to fully appreciate the all out power which this band can harness on a track – it’s insanely melodic yet at the same time fast and hard enough to get you up and moving along with them. As an introduction to a band it serves a few purposes, firstly, it makes you like their music. Secondly, it shows that this is a band who understand how to craft a track, and finally, it makes you question why you hadn’t heard of them before!
Questions follows on, once again following the theme of melody and restrained energy, not allowing things to get away from them yet still keeping enough power in the mix to keep you listening and interested. Opting for a slightly different approach this time around, I’m not sure this track holds the power of the first one in all, there was a really catchy sense to the first track which almost seems to have gone from this one. Sure, there’s the heavier section once again and the power is brought back to the forefront, but there just feels like there’s something missing. I like the way the track progresses and I like the way the band keep you guessing throughout, I’m just not sure I like this track personally as much as the first one – but that’s pure opinion!
What you’ve got in Great Deeds is a band who can write tracks which they want to write, songs which don’t follow convention and don’t set out to satisfy someone purely for the sake of it, instead just doing what they want to do. There’s some seriously accomplished stuff going on here and I would seriously recommend you check them out – although having said that, I won’t be surprised to see these guys suddenly being more well known very soon!
To find out more about Great Deeds, check out their Facebook page HERE.
Opening with Brick there’s a real sense of melody created from the moment it begins. Strange and eerie backing music builds up around quickly spat vocals, the whole mix harking towards something to come, the occasional snippets of distortion giving you a hint at what that might be. What’s most striking though is the layered vocals which create a sound which you can’t help but love, they pull you in and make you want to hear more and more. Launching into the distorted sound fully, everything seems to move from calm into a realm of more power, allowing you to fully appreciate the all out power which this band can harness on a track – it’s insanely melodic yet at the same time fast and hard enough to get you up and moving along with them. As an introduction to a band it serves a few purposes, firstly, it makes you like their music. Secondly, it shows that this is a band who understand how to craft a track, and finally, it makes you question why you hadn’t heard of them before!
Questions follows on, once again following the theme of melody and restrained energy, not allowing things to get away from them yet still keeping enough power in the mix to keep you listening and interested. Opting for a slightly different approach this time around, I’m not sure this track holds the power of the first one in all, there was a really catchy sense to the first track which almost seems to have gone from this one. Sure, there’s the heavier section once again and the power is brought back to the forefront, but there just feels like there’s something missing. I like the way the track progresses and I like the way the band keep you guessing throughout, I’m just not sure I like this track personally as much as the first one – but that’s pure opinion!
What you’ve got in Great Deeds is a band who can write tracks which they want to write, songs which don’t follow convention and don’t set out to satisfy someone purely for the sake of it, instead just doing what they want to do. There’s some seriously accomplished stuff going on here and I would seriously recommend you check them out – although having said that, I won’t be surprised to see these guys suddenly being more well known very soon!
To find out more about Great Deeds, check out their Facebook page HERE.