E.P. Review: Syren City- Fire In Your Name/Asphodel E.P.

E.P. REVIEW:

Syren City

　Fire In Your Name/Asphodel E.P.

9.5/10.0

The Fire In Your Name/Asphodel E.P. is available via

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKVd1MpcB6A

RELEASE DATE: 12 SEPTEMBER, 2013

TRACK LISTING

1) Fire In Your Name- 9.6/10.

2) Asphodel- 9.4

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: U.K.

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Hailing from Bristol, five-piece band Syren City have won the support and hearts of local crowds. Their Punk-cum-Hardcore anthems to a much wider audience- marking themselves out as festival mainstayers-in-waiting

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HISTORICALLY, Bristol provided some of the greatest acts of all-time

Certainly, when it comes to modern music based in Bristol, the likes of Massive Attack and Portishead spring to mind. These legends formed part of the "Bristol Sound" coined during the '90s to describe the city's musical elite. They created the Trip Hop and Electronic that Bristol is known for. While cities such as London, Leeds, Manchester and Liverpool are producing a greater number and range of diverse musicians. At present, there is a wave of hungry and eclectic acts, determined to put Bristol back in the collective consciousness. Bands such as Coasts and solo artists like Gaz Brookfield are among some of the most striking and ambitious acts to come out of Bristol. Fitting in this scene are the vibrant five-piece Alternative Rock band, Syren City.

Members Simon Roach, Adam Hopton, Ian Chadderton, Adam Armour and Louis Catlett draw their inspirations from Punk, Metal, and Hardcore to create a mesmeric and forceful British Rock sound. The group has fully utilised social media; as well as having extensive online coverage, the quintet have established themselves as one of the hungriest and most urgent acts on the underground circuit. Throughout the last year, Syren City has gigged extensively, completing 3 U.K. tours and a securing slot at Hit The Deck Festival, where they opened for the likes of Don Broco, We Are The Ocean and Mallory Knox.

If you are a fan of the classic Punk bands of the '70s you will love Syren City; the guys not only mix vintage and classic sounds, but infuse doses of modernity as well. Fans of the Foo Fighters, Queens of the Stone Age and Pulled Apart By Horses should also dive in. Syren City mixes diving and spiralling guitars, heavy and emotive percussion and vocals, wrapping them all up in memorable and anthemic sonic blasts. The band's debut disc, Fire In Your Name/Asphodel E.P. was released last year and has been garnering some high praise.

Fire In Your Name is the first song of the EP, and begins with an emphatic kick. The track's impassioned vocals and powerful riffs get you to your feet. It is a number to listen to when the sun is out and you need to let loose- it has an emphatic and rebellious quality that implores you to sing along and punch your fists. The lyrics are evocative and striking (speaking to an unnamed subject) our hero implores: "You'll ask for water/I'll pour on gasoline." Frontman Simon Roach claims that the song deals with "someone who’s grown up within their walls and comes to see the error of their ways – in the breakdown we dubbed in a sermon of hate from Fred Phelps himself". Whilst the ecstatic and pummelling riffs burrow in your mind, the gang vocals and uplifting percussive work make you smile and root for our hero. The vocal is particularly impressive - In addition to being original and daring, it is consistently powerful and direct. Each word is sung with such conviction and force, ensuring that the song is not easily forgotten. Mixing blasts of Q.O.T.S.A. and Green Day alongside Fall Out Boy and Foo Fighters, it gives the track a hugely impressive quality and is a stunning opener. The E.P.'s 2nd track, Asphodel, according to frontman Simon, looks at "my own interpretation (Roach's) of the Divine Comedy, about the poets journey through the Inferno and Purgatorio, making it to the edge of Paradiso and realising he regrets nothing of his sins so plunges himself back down...". Once more, bruising riffs and masculine kick are the order of the day; the track has its heart in a fiery bordello, having backing vocals are practically screamed with desperation as the crackling drum work ramps the tension up. The vocal turn is once more throat-scraping and blood-thirsty; our frontman ensures that every song vividly comes to life. Shades of Grunge pioneers Niravana and some Badmotorfinger-era Soundgarden infused with Syren City’s rampant Punk energy create another stunning track that compels you to join the band in unison and make a lot of noise. The E.P. is well-produced and sharp; each track is clear and concise, allowing the fury, passion and mythology to come through with clarity. It is not something that only appeals to lovers of Punk and Hardcore: it is an E.P. dedicated to anyone who loves genuine and honest Rock. The infectious songwriting and emphatic sing-alongs will be impossible to shift from your mind.

There are other modern-day acts who offer the same sort of music as that of Syren City, yet few do so with such conviction and quality. They meld bygone Punk and Hardcore elements into their palate, as well as injecting a very original modern voice- one which will inspire legions of other acts and newcomers. Over the coming months, Syren City will be playing gigs across the south-west of England. They have a ready-made sound that will be welcomed across London, Manchester, Liverpool- and all across the U.K. The way they mix U.S. influences and strands means that in future years they could well play across Seattle, New York and L.A. While the band is still in its early days, there is ample evidence to suggest that Syren City a band watch very closely. The band gets in your veins, puts you in a better mood and compels you to sing along. You can lose your body in the music, and forget about your troubles.

MAKE sure you check out this electrifying act.