When Giants Collide
Another band from Garry at SAN PR, When Giants Collide were recently sent through to us for us to check out. With the Yorkshire based band due to release their debut EP ‘No One Is Safe’ on the 27th of February, I figured this was a good chance to check out what was to come from these guys. Describing their sound as ‘ear shattering riffs and pounding beats that is both dominant and anthemic, the band ink forceful cuts delivering their metal beatings with the true intent and unbridled passion that demands and deserves attention’. On top of this, citing their influences as the likes of Meshuggah and Fear Factory (one of my original favourite metal bands of all time), I figured this was going to be one hell of a rollercoaster ride!
Opening with Wasteland, the influences become immediately clear as the track opens with haunting sound effects all building up to a faded in riff, the whole melee creating a sound which fills your ears and asks you to listen harder just for a moment. Building into an ear-splitting section of drums which in turn leads into a bass heavy section of riffs, this track immediately sets the bar high for this band. As the vocals kick in everything changes and transforms into something even heavier, something dark and desolate, but something which you’re simply going to love. The beats pound away as the bass and guitars create a backing sound which is enough to destroy the foundations of your house, the vocals all the time continuing on their roaring rampage. As an introduction to a band this is one hell of a track and to me, demonstrates the hunger that these guys have got to get out there and be taken seriously by their peers – and personally – I think this music puts them on that level. Throwing in a soaring dual lead line midway through just to make sure you’re still there and paying attention, there are so many contrasts on this track which make you sit up and take note, and we’ve only just begun!
Codename 47 follows on, opening in much the same way and not allowing you a moment to even catch your breath. This track is once again an example of how a band can take a genre of music and firmly stamp their own mark on it to make sure that they’re unique and fresh. Insanely heavy once again, this track further develops the sound which they achieved in the first track and confirms in your mind that what you’re hearing is something which is going to destroy once it hits shelves. Everything from the rolling drums to the guttural roars of the vocals is carefully crafted to ensure that they fit together, creating a sound which seems to blend downright heavy metal, with a hint of industrial and maybe even a little snippet of prog in there – which is something pretty damned incredible when you think about it. As the track comes to a close and Defcon takes the lead, you’re treated to a brief respite from the aggression to catch your breath before being launched into one of the most downright heavy yet somehow incredibly melodic sections of music I’ve ever come across – the combination of contrasting vocals over symphonic lead lines leaves you questioning what the hell just happened whilst knowing that in fact, it worked really quite well. Finishing as it begun, this track is probably the one I would class as my own personal favourite from the album, and one which I highly recommend you get out there and check out.
Balboa feeds in from the previous track to take the lead, once again adopting a rolling bass beat and hammering riffs to make sure you’re still there and that the crowd is still going mental for it. This time there are sound effects thrown in which further elevates this track into something new, something more than the metal tag once again and something which you will visit time and time again just to make sure you didn’t imagine it. Smashing your head against a wall from start to finish, this track isn’t for the feint hearted, but it’s a hell of a track – and I can only imagine how it’s received when it’s performed on the live front. As it closes and Swansong comes into close the EP, you’re left without a shadow of a doubt that this album has been one of the most insane fairground rides you’ve ever been on, but that it’s been one hell of a ride. The track seems to conclude the EP perfectly, leaving you satisfied that what you’ve heard has been damned good, but still leaving you with an appetite for more, or maybe just to go through it all again. Relentlessly heavy from start to finish, personally, this EP has moved into the CD player in the car so I can continue to check it out just to make sure I’ve not missed anything.
When Giants Collide have proven that good, hard hitting downright awesome metal is still out there and that there are bands who are still doing it well. What I’ve enjoyed throughout their EP is how they’ve taken what can sometimes be a relatively simple genre of music and elevated it to a new level by stamping their own authority on it and making it their own. Heavy, aggressive and loud yet also melodic and soothing at times, this is an EP which fits the term triumph in the truest sense, one which you will come back to again and again then remark in many years to come that you remember when these guys released their EP, definitely one to watch.
To find out more about When Giants Collide, check out their Facebook page HERE.
Opening with Wasteland, the influences become immediately clear as the track opens with haunting sound effects all building up to a faded in riff, the whole melee creating a sound which fills your ears and asks you to listen harder just for a moment. Building into an ear-splitting section of drums which in turn leads into a bass heavy section of riffs, this track immediately sets the bar high for this band. As the vocals kick in everything changes and transforms into something even heavier, something dark and desolate, but something which you’re simply going to love. The beats pound away as the bass and guitars create a backing sound which is enough to destroy the foundations of your house, the vocals all the time continuing on their roaring rampage. As an introduction to a band this is one hell of a track and to me, demonstrates the hunger that these guys have got to get out there and be taken seriously by their peers – and personally – I think this music puts them on that level. Throwing in a soaring dual lead line midway through just to make sure you’re still there and paying attention, there are so many contrasts on this track which make you sit up and take note, and we’ve only just begun!
Codename 47 follows on, opening in much the same way and not allowing you a moment to even catch your breath. This track is once again an example of how a band can take a genre of music and firmly stamp their own mark on it to make sure that they’re unique and fresh. Insanely heavy once again, this track further develops the sound which they achieved in the first track and confirms in your mind that what you’re hearing is something which is going to destroy once it hits shelves. Everything from the rolling drums to the guttural roars of the vocals is carefully crafted to ensure that they fit together, creating a sound which seems to blend downright heavy metal, with a hint of industrial and maybe even a little snippet of prog in there – which is something pretty damned incredible when you think about it. As the track comes to a close and Defcon takes the lead, you’re treated to a brief respite from the aggression to catch your breath before being launched into one of the most downright heavy yet somehow incredibly melodic sections of music I’ve ever come across – the combination of contrasting vocals over symphonic lead lines leaves you questioning what the hell just happened whilst knowing that in fact, it worked really quite well. Finishing as it begun, this track is probably the one I would class as my own personal favourite from the album, and one which I highly recommend you get out there and check out.
Balboa feeds in from the previous track to take the lead, once again adopting a rolling bass beat and hammering riffs to make sure you’re still there and that the crowd is still going mental for it. This time there are sound effects thrown in which further elevates this track into something new, something more than the metal tag once again and something which you will visit time and time again just to make sure you didn’t imagine it. Smashing your head against a wall from start to finish, this track isn’t for the feint hearted, but it’s a hell of a track – and I can only imagine how it’s received when it’s performed on the live front. As it closes and Swansong comes into close the EP, you’re left without a shadow of a doubt that this album has been one of the most insane fairground rides you’ve ever been on, but that it’s been one hell of a ride. The track seems to conclude the EP perfectly, leaving you satisfied that what you’ve heard has been damned good, but still leaving you with an appetite for more, or maybe just to go through it all again. Relentlessly heavy from start to finish, personally, this EP has moved into the CD player in the car so I can continue to check it out just to make sure I’ve not missed anything.
When Giants Collide have proven that good, hard hitting downright awesome metal is still out there and that there are bands who are still doing it well. What I’ve enjoyed throughout their EP is how they’ve taken what can sometimes be a relatively simple genre of music and elevated it to a new level by stamping their own authority on it and making it their own. Heavy, aggressive and loud yet also melodic and soothing at times, this is an EP which fits the term triumph in the truest sense, one which you will come back to again and again then remark in many years to come that you remember when these guys released their EP, definitely one to watch.
To find out more about When Giants Collide, check out their Facebook page HERE.