Lifer
The guys in Scrifer recently got in touch with us to let us know about their music and to see what we thought of things. Featuring ex-members of Neckbrace, Betrayer, Rectify, Sick Cell, State Of Confusion, Black Eye Riot and Acrimony, this is a band who are no strangers to making music and hitting venues damned hard. Based in South Wales, the band draw influence from the likes of Black Sabbath, Motorhead, Down, Corrosion of Conformity and Pantera amongst others, meaning I was looking forward to checking out their heavy, fast and groovy sound!
As Curse Them Out gets things going, there’s an immediate smash in the face with a dark and distorted sound, the whole mix forming something which is going to get head banging and pits moving. The darkness has to be the key to things here, flowing through the low tuned guitar lines and adding an ominous rumble to the bass heavy rhythms. Add in some guttural vocals and the result is spellbinding, immediately pulling you in and forcing you to listen to what’s going on. Don’t be deceived by the slow and sludgy opening though as soon we’re launched head first into a pit of all out devastation, fast guitar lines hammering away as spat vocals echo out over the mix. The influences are immediately clear through this track, yet Lifer seem to have taken the sound and made it their own, transporting you to a place they’ve created and keeping you on board throughout. Nothing Left To Lose continues this idea, once again harking back to more classic rock as the track opens but soon returning to their distorted and pounding roots once again. Another stand out track from the selection, this is one which is going to confirm the bands place alongside their peers and make them a force to be reckoned with on the live front.
Bring It Down once again manages to encapsulate the all out power of the band, keeping the guitars sludgy and powerful whilst the vocals do all of the work over the top of them. Somehow achieving a sound akin to the likes of Hatebreed, there’s a real sense of hardcore running through this track, something which once again suggests this is going to be a band to see on the live scene. Pummelling drum lines keep this track moving, maintaining the sense of aggression and power that’s been evident from the off, and this is only the third track on the bands reverb nation page! As if to confirm all of my thoughts, Reach comes up next and once again demonstrates that this isn’t a band to mess with. Keeping the sense of aggression firmly in the forefront of the track, the music roves from blisteringly fast through to more laid back and sludgy moments, even going so far as to add in a funky wah tinged guitar line at one point. It’s when Loss comes into being though that a different perspective is put onto things, this time keeping things slow and melodic to open and almost offering you a break in the aggressive front which has been so evident. Soft and acoustic guitar lines keep things interesting, almost suggesting that there’s something else to follow but not giving away what it is, refusing to reveal their hand until the moment they’re sure it’s time.
The time comes when Broken Bones comes in to take over from the soft moment, once again returning us to the distorted pit of devastation and letting you know that the power was merely taking a breather for a moment. Rolling drums, pounding guitar lines and more of those roaring gravelly vocals, this track once again has all of the key ingredients you’d be looking for and show once again that this is a band who understand what they’re doing. Goathead and Long Time Dead both continue this approach, each track coming as a sludgy continuation of the one before and keeping you listening to what’s on offer. Powerful, raucous and in your face throughout, both tracks seem to lead naturally on to Raging Waters, a track which, to me, epitomises the sound of Lifer in one track. Heavy, fast, hard hitting and powerful from the off, this track has everything you could possibly want from a metal track, and promises to be another favourite on the live scene. The powerful guitar line which underpins this track is intricate, the drums are powerful, the bass is heavy and keeps things moving, and the vocals once again lead you through the track by the hand, the whole time smacking you around the back of the head to make sure you’re listening. Definitely one of my personal favourites from the selection, this is a track to make sure you check out.
Closing the selection with Embrace The Madness there’s one last demonstration of the outlook of a band who know what they’re doing, once again combining the heavy and hard hitting approach with a real sense of classic rock and roll. Powerful, funky and straight to the point, this is a track which doesn’t mess about or offer up intricacies, instead simply hammering out a track which you know you’re going to come back to time and time again – closing on a high for sure.
I like the sound that Lifer have managed to achieve, and I’m a little annoyed at myself having gone through Chepstow so many times and not seen them yet! This is going to change though and I’ve made up my mind that this is a band I need to see, the sort of band that controls their audience, destroys the venue and leaves everyone wanting more – definitely a band to check out.
To find out more about Lifer, check out their Facebook page HERE and their Facebook page HERE.
Words: Dave Nicholls
As Curse Them Out gets things going, there’s an immediate smash in the face with a dark and distorted sound, the whole mix forming something which is going to get head banging and pits moving. The darkness has to be the key to things here, flowing through the low tuned guitar lines and adding an ominous rumble to the bass heavy rhythms. Add in some guttural vocals and the result is spellbinding, immediately pulling you in and forcing you to listen to what’s going on. Don’t be deceived by the slow and sludgy opening though as soon we’re launched head first into a pit of all out devastation, fast guitar lines hammering away as spat vocals echo out over the mix. The influences are immediately clear through this track, yet Lifer seem to have taken the sound and made it their own, transporting you to a place they’ve created and keeping you on board throughout. Nothing Left To Lose continues this idea, once again harking back to more classic rock as the track opens but soon returning to their distorted and pounding roots once again. Another stand out track from the selection, this is one which is going to confirm the bands place alongside their peers and make them a force to be reckoned with on the live front.
Bring It Down once again manages to encapsulate the all out power of the band, keeping the guitars sludgy and powerful whilst the vocals do all of the work over the top of them. Somehow achieving a sound akin to the likes of Hatebreed, there’s a real sense of hardcore running through this track, something which once again suggests this is going to be a band to see on the live scene. Pummelling drum lines keep this track moving, maintaining the sense of aggression and power that’s been evident from the off, and this is only the third track on the bands reverb nation page! As if to confirm all of my thoughts, Reach comes up next and once again demonstrates that this isn’t a band to mess with. Keeping the sense of aggression firmly in the forefront of the track, the music roves from blisteringly fast through to more laid back and sludgy moments, even going so far as to add in a funky wah tinged guitar line at one point. It’s when Loss comes into being though that a different perspective is put onto things, this time keeping things slow and melodic to open and almost offering you a break in the aggressive front which has been so evident. Soft and acoustic guitar lines keep things interesting, almost suggesting that there’s something else to follow but not giving away what it is, refusing to reveal their hand until the moment they’re sure it’s time.
The time comes when Broken Bones comes in to take over from the soft moment, once again returning us to the distorted pit of devastation and letting you know that the power was merely taking a breather for a moment. Rolling drums, pounding guitar lines and more of those roaring gravelly vocals, this track once again has all of the key ingredients you’d be looking for and show once again that this is a band who understand what they’re doing. Goathead and Long Time Dead both continue this approach, each track coming as a sludgy continuation of the one before and keeping you listening to what’s on offer. Powerful, raucous and in your face throughout, both tracks seem to lead naturally on to Raging Waters, a track which, to me, epitomises the sound of Lifer in one track. Heavy, fast, hard hitting and powerful from the off, this track has everything you could possibly want from a metal track, and promises to be another favourite on the live scene. The powerful guitar line which underpins this track is intricate, the drums are powerful, the bass is heavy and keeps things moving, and the vocals once again lead you through the track by the hand, the whole time smacking you around the back of the head to make sure you’re listening. Definitely one of my personal favourites from the selection, this is a track to make sure you check out.
Closing the selection with Embrace The Madness there’s one last demonstration of the outlook of a band who know what they’re doing, once again combining the heavy and hard hitting approach with a real sense of classic rock and roll. Powerful, funky and straight to the point, this is a track which doesn’t mess about or offer up intricacies, instead simply hammering out a track which you know you’re going to come back to time and time again – closing on a high for sure.
I like the sound that Lifer have managed to achieve, and I’m a little annoyed at myself having gone through Chepstow so many times and not seen them yet! This is going to change though and I’ve made up my mind that this is a band I need to see, the sort of band that controls their audience, destroys the venue and leaves everyone wanting more – definitely a band to check out.
To find out more about Lifer, check out their Facebook page HERE and their Facebook page HERE.
Words: Dave Nicholls