(Andy Synn returns to his homeland, in spirit at least, for another edition of the Best of British)
I’m still over in the good ol’ US of A at the moment, gearing up for this year’s edition of Maryland Deathfest, and while I’ve loved my time here – as always – I’ll admit that I’ve been feeling the occasional pang of homesickness every now and then.
So to help quell my longing for the green and pleasant lands of my birth I thought I’d put together another carefully-curated collection of British bands, from a variety of styles and sub-genres, to remind us all of what’s waiting for me when I get home.
RELIQUIA – IN THEORY AND PRACTICE
We’ll kick things off today with the debut album from a band I’ve been keeping a close eye on for a while now… Manchester-based Blackened/Gothic/Doom Metal crew Reliquia.
Now, to be clear, while the supposed “blackened” element of the band’s sound may have been a little over-played (the trem-heavy finale of “Temple Terrace” and the raspy harsh vocals of frontman Gregg Alexander Neville are the only real elements that would support this tag) the doomy, gothic and even Post-Punk sides of the band’s seductive sound definitely haven’t, positioning the quintet somewhere between Paradise Lost, Moonspell, and Fields of the Nephilim.
If you’re looking for evidence of this latter assertion, look no further than the simmering, slow-burning melancholy of opener “Caesar, Bejeweled”, which combines sombre clean vocals – rich with sublime character and sullen charisma – and vivid, visceral snarls with a series of piercing melodic leads and stomping, cinematic rhythms that pay unapologetic tribute to the magic of the mid-’90s Peaceville period, while the more gothic character of the aforementioned “Temple Terrace” not only references One Second era Paradise Lost, but also the more electro-goth inflected pulse of acts like Tiamat and Crematory as well.
And while that might seem like a lot of names to drop in a relatively short space of time… and, yes, it probably is… the likes of “Crestfallen” (five minutes of bleak, brooding beauty interspersed with occasional bursts of bombastic fury) and the pulsing, Post-Punk infused Goth-Doom prowl of “Bone and Shale” (arguably the album’s best track) prove that the comparisons are more than justified.
At just under thirty-two minutes (two and a half of which are somewhat wasted on the superfluous “Interlude”) In Theory and Practice is perhaps a little too short for its own good – just as you’re really getting into the gloomy groove the saturnine strains of the Draconian Times-esque “Give” bring things to a slightly unsatisfying conclusion (though the song itself is killer) – but absolutely positions the band as “one to watch” in the future.
SILO – HAZE
I may be wrong about this, but I’m pretty sure that Silo are the first band that we – or, at least, I – have ever covered from the Isle of Man.
Thankfully, as the current standard-bearers for their little island (population 84,523 as of the 2024 census) they’ve planted their Melodic Hardcore meets Metalcore meets Nu Metal flag in some pretty fertile soil here, which is bound to reap even juicier fruit going forwards if Haze is any indication of the band’s potential.
Until then, however, you’ve got vibrant, electrifyingly emotional anthems like “Spin” and “Lucid” (an early and late highlight, respectively) to enjoy – especially if you’re fan of the likes of Code Orange, Employed to Serve (in whose footsteps the band would do well to follow, especially when one listens to the likes of “Forget It” and “Jaw Wire”), and even Refused – as well as heavier, groovier cuts like “Ill Intent” and insistently infectious numbers like “Bai Lan” (which help showcase the versatile potential of the band’s sound, in different ways).
Sure, the more Nu-Metal-y feel of songs like “Split My Mind” and “What’s Left Of Me” (the latter of sounds more like a long-lost Taproot B-side, rather than something actually representative of the Silo sound) might prove a little divisive (and I could definitely do without cloying acoustic closer “Times Change”) but the more Around the Fur/White Pony era inspired sounds of “Crawl In a Bottle” and “Imposter” (which is another second half stand-out) more than make up for these occasional musical mis-steps.
Long story short, there’s a lot going on here… and while Haze doesn’t always land its punches (some of the more Nu-influenced parts definitely feel a little flaccid in comparison to the album’s best moments) there’s more than enough going on here (especially when the hooky riffs, hefty grooves, and heart-on-sleeve vocals lock in to deliver something greater than the mere sum of their parts) to suggest that, with a little more experience under their belts (and a bit of judicious editing), these guys could easily be set for bigger, better things.
TYRANNUS – MOURNHOLD
Of the three bands featured here today Tyrannus are the only ones we’ve actively covered before (in fact, I personally handled the review of their previous album, Unslayable, back in 2022).
And while the band’s brand of thrashy, deathy Black Metal saw them previously referred to as “the UK’s answer to Skeletonwitch“, the punkier (at times even post-punkier) vibes and heroic hooks of Mournhold has them sounding more like “the British Black Anvil” (especially during climactic closer “Back to Grey”).
Now, to be clear, I’m not saying that Tyrannus are particularly derivative of either of those bands – they’ve clearly put a lot of effort into stamping their own identity onto every single track here, which is obvious right from the moment that the raging riffs, rapid-fire blasts, and spiteful, snarling rasps of excellent opener “Violent Inheritance” kick the album into high gear – but the comparisons are definitely both valid and extremely positive.
I’ll grant you that there are a few moments where the pieces still don’t mesh as seamlessly as they probably should – the oddly-placed Soul Reaver quote in “Orbus Non Suffict” (despite being a welcome reminder of a great game) and the roughly stitched-together nature of the title-track slightly undercut the album’s overall impact and momentum (at least temporarily) – but the bass-driven, moodily melodic Post-Punk-meets-Post-Black pulse and pummel of “Flesh Eternal” is a prime example of how the band has continued to grow and evolve their sound.
That being said… it’s the band’s most barn-burning moments, like the face-melting guitars and head-banging grooves of “Seizing Stars” (which also features a sizzling solo) and the riff-happy Black Thrash anthem for the underclass that is “Reignfall”, that ultimately hit the hardest and (in addition to the sudden explosions of intensity which burst out during the aforementioned “Flesh Eternal”) leave the strongest, and longest-lasting, impression on this particular listener (who will absolutely be coming back for more).