The Sheffield Scenester

A little about the band:

The tag line on their face book announces the band; ‘We make loud noise with instruments and also like to shout.’ Frank and to the point I guess! You’ve got to give them credit that they don’t beat around the bush.

Intro:
On my first listen I did get some very good vibes from this band. They use some very interesting musical devices from other bands within the same genre and they keep your attention throughout with short stompy songs and liberal usage of well written riffs. The vocal is shouty and quite prophetic in a very ‘Rage Against the Machine’ manner and is also backed up by big group chorus shouts which I can only really compare to that of ‘Enter Shikari’, the guitar riffs and bass range from very early ‘Nirvana’ and early ‘Greenday’ with even some very small elements of ‘Korn’. It’s like they’ve just shoved them all in a blender and had a hefty swig each.

The songs:

-Stood in the masses
A crescendo distorted chord starts us off on this one breaking way into a heavy riff. This then subsides and lets a short riff on the bass break through before continuing to the main bulk of the song. This is a very heavy number and a good starter tune for the album. It becomes punchy in sound when the vocal comes in. I can’t help but think the production could be a lot better on this to really let the song shine through, in particular when the stomping new metal style riff kicks in as it does sound quite muddy and not very defined. I would love to hear the click of the kick drum and rattle of strings on the bass to give it some high end. The song itself though is a bit of a corker!

-This is the Missing Piece
A bass riff and drum licks start us off on this one then the main vocal line kicks in. This is a grunge/new metal tune which builds to a pinnacle where the title is shouted out by the group really drilling the words home. Quite minimalist in the vocal line department but this just lets the guitars shine through and the bass do the talking also.

-Written in stone
A very slow guitar and bass melody is interrupted by drum stops before this song kicks into the heavy main riff. At this point you feel the full force of the guitar work which after a few repetitions stops to let the bass and vocal sound through. This song uses some very clever break downs of the guitar and bass which really make those heavy bits stand out and really kick in.

-Maverick
This is probably my favourite song from the EP. Well written with some good little fills on the drums and some fast fret work on the guitar. The vocalist really sticks his boot in with this one as well which is perfectly backed up by more of those shouty ‘Enter Shikari’ style group vocals. The production also seems to be a little better on this track. You can hear a lot more of the overall band and the vocals are given room within the mix. The bass is also lower giving the kick drum more room to breathe which in turn gives it some punch.

-Kirby
Not sure if this is the namesake of the computer game or that game you would play as a kid, with a footy, trying to hit your opponents’ kirb at either side of the road. This song is just a cheeky little number for a finisher to the EP. Short and to the point but also summing up the sound of the band well.

For the Record:
It has to be said the production on this record does not do the band justice. They have some very catchy tunes and some very gritty riffs which you want to stomp around nodding your head to. I’m not sure what this was recorded using, but it does seem to have low background noise and a clean sound so I’m guessing some sort of home studio or school/college set up. This said, what they have managed to achieve is a good bit of work but I can’t help but feel there may be a lack of experience in the mixing department.

I’ll start with drums; the mix does tend to be very light in the kick drum department and so tends to get bullied around the mix by the guitar and bass quite a lot. I’m not sure if they are using a compressor or EQ at all on any of the drums but this would really benefit them by getting some punch and sparkle out of the kit.

The Bass is actually quite well recorded, it’s got a very rounded sound and it’s obviously a good quality instrument. Again, as previously said, the bass does tend to be quite high in the mix to create the ‘Oomph’, but this doesn’t need to be the case. I practically listened to the whole EP with my bass EQ rolled right down and it has started to sound a little more like a commercial record.

The guitar does tend to be quite flat sounding which is a bit of a shame as the guitar work is very good. This could be helped by stopping off some of the distortion when recording letting the guitar breathe a bit more rather than being just a flat distorted sound. I do like the chord work on these tunes and you can tell the guitarist has a good ear for a great riff.

The vocals, as stated previously, do tend to be quite minimalist in a ‘Zack de la Rocha’ way and do shine though excellently when the singer really gives it some. With the heaviness of the music I do feel a bit cheated out of some proper all out screaming, but this said though I am pretty positive this would only be on the record and if we actually saw this guy live I’m sure we would get the full force.

Final Thoughts:
Friday 7th October at the Sheffield United ground proves RTB’s next gig as part of the Oxjam showcase. Its £6 entry but if you can’t wait for their next gig then mosey down to their Facebook and have a listen to their free EP

Written by Simon Ellis