Soldierfield
I was first put on to Soldierfield a while back, and since then have been looking forward to checking more of their stuff out, so when the chance came to check out their debut EP, Bury The Ones We Love, I was looking forward to seeing what they’d come up with. Drawing influence from across the rock and metal spectrum, this promises to be an EP full of moments which are going to have to be seen to be believed, so I figured the only way forwards was to hit play and check it out for myself!
As title track Bury The Ones We Love gets things going we’re pulled into a dark and distorted world, a place where the feeling is of power, distortion, and a real sense of pummelling metallic goodness! Combining a sense of old school metal with an updated feel of pounding drumlines, rumbling bass and powerful guitar lines, the track seems to grow around you, luring you in with each second the passes and showing us why we need to be paying attention to Soldierfield from here onwards. Despite the powerful approach there’s also a serious does of melodic catchiness thrown into the mix as well, something which elevates this to a new place, and something which is sure to secure these guys a place in the ‘must see’ ranks of bands out there. Feel Alive continues this approach, once again throwing down into a pounding melee of hammering drums, roaring guitar lines and those soaring vocals. The mix here is groove orientated from the start, the sort of thing which will get people moving and begging to see them live, once again showing what they’re capable of. This was one of my personal favourites off of the EP, there’s just something about it which hooks you in, gets you singing along, and makes you want to play this really, really loud!
Leave You In Dirt moves us closer to the sludgy approach, this time breaking things down to a simple riff before launching into something which can simply be described as epic. Fast paced rolling double bass drums set the pace whilst the guitars and bass work to elevate the mix, roving between fast and slow to ensure you’re fully immersed in the bands sound. Intricate moments combine with sludgy power to reveal a distorted and dark side to the band, showing off the sort of ability which sits these guys amongst the best in their field, continuing to raise the bar for the EP and continuing to showcase what the band have got on offer. Skyflower moves away from all of this distortion and, for just a moment, offers up a feeling of calm and reflection to slow things down. Acoustic guitars combine with a roving bassline whilst the vocals move more towards a soothing and calm approach, the track standing out on the EP as one to check out simply because of the contrast to the other tracks, it’s a moment of sheer genius as it makes you stop and listen, allowing you to take in what you’ve heard so far before continuing on with the EP, almost acting as a break, still combining that hard and soft approach but doing it subtly so that you’re left sitting and just listening.
Closing with The Path there’s no messing about, finishing on a note which leaves no doubt that this is a band on the up, and a band we should all be paying attention to. Fast paced and distorted once again, this final track may well close the EP but there’s a resounding message through the track saying ‘we’re not done, this is just the start’, almost paving the way for what’s coming next whilst continuing to push the boundaries of what you thought you knew about music. This final track was another of my favourites from the EP, managing to combine their hard hitting approach with a sense of Alice In Chains style groove, and an accessible edge which is sure to propel these guys into the spotlight – it’s a solid finish to an awesome EP.
This may be the debut EP from Soldierfield but believe me, listening to it you wouldn’t know it. From start to finish we’re shown what they’re capable of, shown the style of the band, shown their outlook on music, and shown why we need to be paying attention to them from here onwards. If you’re looking for a new band to check out then look no further, Soldierfield may just be the band you’ve been searching for all this time, they’re certainly one I’ll be looking to hear a lot more from!
To find out more about Soldierfield, check out their Facebook page HERE.
Words: Dave Nicholls
As title track Bury The Ones We Love gets things going we’re pulled into a dark and distorted world, a place where the feeling is of power, distortion, and a real sense of pummelling metallic goodness! Combining a sense of old school metal with an updated feel of pounding drumlines, rumbling bass and powerful guitar lines, the track seems to grow around you, luring you in with each second the passes and showing us why we need to be paying attention to Soldierfield from here onwards. Despite the powerful approach there’s also a serious does of melodic catchiness thrown into the mix as well, something which elevates this to a new place, and something which is sure to secure these guys a place in the ‘must see’ ranks of bands out there. Feel Alive continues this approach, once again throwing down into a pounding melee of hammering drums, roaring guitar lines and those soaring vocals. The mix here is groove orientated from the start, the sort of thing which will get people moving and begging to see them live, once again showing what they’re capable of. This was one of my personal favourites off of the EP, there’s just something about it which hooks you in, gets you singing along, and makes you want to play this really, really loud!
Leave You In Dirt moves us closer to the sludgy approach, this time breaking things down to a simple riff before launching into something which can simply be described as epic. Fast paced rolling double bass drums set the pace whilst the guitars and bass work to elevate the mix, roving between fast and slow to ensure you’re fully immersed in the bands sound. Intricate moments combine with sludgy power to reveal a distorted and dark side to the band, showing off the sort of ability which sits these guys amongst the best in their field, continuing to raise the bar for the EP and continuing to showcase what the band have got on offer. Skyflower moves away from all of this distortion and, for just a moment, offers up a feeling of calm and reflection to slow things down. Acoustic guitars combine with a roving bassline whilst the vocals move more towards a soothing and calm approach, the track standing out on the EP as one to check out simply because of the contrast to the other tracks, it’s a moment of sheer genius as it makes you stop and listen, allowing you to take in what you’ve heard so far before continuing on with the EP, almost acting as a break, still combining that hard and soft approach but doing it subtly so that you’re left sitting and just listening.
Closing with The Path there’s no messing about, finishing on a note which leaves no doubt that this is a band on the up, and a band we should all be paying attention to. Fast paced and distorted once again, this final track may well close the EP but there’s a resounding message through the track saying ‘we’re not done, this is just the start’, almost paving the way for what’s coming next whilst continuing to push the boundaries of what you thought you knew about music. This final track was another of my favourites from the EP, managing to combine their hard hitting approach with a sense of Alice In Chains style groove, and an accessible edge which is sure to propel these guys into the spotlight – it’s a solid finish to an awesome EP.
This may be the debut EP from Soldierfield but believe me, listening to it you wouldn’t know it. From start to finish we’re shown what they’re capable of, shown the style of the band, shown their outlook on music, and shown why we need to be paying attention to them from here onwards. If you’re looking for a new band to check out then look no further, Soldierfield may just be the band you’ve been searching for all this time, they’re certainly one I’ll be looking to hear a lot more from!
To find out more about Soldierfield, check out their Facebook page HERE.
Words: Dave Nicholls
