Beecher: unwrapping the intriguing turbulence of an under appreciated unit

Beecher: unwrapping the intriguing turbulence of an under appreciated unit

By Aaron Lohan

Jun 30, 2017 14:00

This is a spin off of our "Where to Start" series! In this feature we provide an overview on the obscure and relatively known acts with less than five albums. In other words, in this guide we go through a band's discography album by album, telling you our thoughts on each record as well as giving insight into the band themselves and why we recommend them for your listening pleasure. This month: Beecher.

During the late ’90s and early 2000s, the sub genre known as mathcore became associated with hardcore bands who utilised elements of noise, prog, grind, metal and jazz. One could say that this period was a golden age for it, with bands such as Converge, Botch, Norma Jean and The Dillinger Escape Plan causing heads to crane towards their positions. Yet, whilst the popularity and musicality of those bands would expand well into the twenty-first century, there are those acts who caused a spark, but never got their acclaim in the wider sphere, being reduced to a feverous underground following. Beecher from Manchester were one of those bands.

Birthed in 2001 by vocalist Ed Godby, guitarist Mark Lyons, drummer Will Shaw (replaced by Daniel Jones in 2003), guitarist Daniel Plant (replaced by Daniel Shaw in 2003) and bassist David Hopkinson, this quintet’s take on the so called mathcore style would prove to be very influential on the UK heavy music scene in the decade that followed. Their six year lifespan saw them release two confidently visceral and intriguing albums, so it was untimely when they met their demise in 2006. The members would go on to be involved in various bands including Castles, Claw the Thin Ice, The Freezing Fog, Day for Airstrikes, and more recently, Supergenius. Yet, one can’t stop going back to what Beecher created. Without a doubt, their inspiration on the likes of Architects, Devil Sold His Soul, Johnny Truant and more was reminded during their brief reunion from 2010-2011. Therefore, it is through this article that we remind music fandom again why they are an act worth remembering.


‘Breaking the Fourth Wall’

It would be easy to lump Beecher in with their contemporaries of the time, but from the start of their debut album, they certainly offer their own touch on the mathcore sub genre. The first two songs, ‘Let Them Drown’ and ‘Dead for Weeks’, have a similar ferocious and intense technicality to the likes of Converge and Dillinger Escape Plan, yet they come with their own flavour. For instance, the former song and ‘Arrow Flies’ sees vocalist Ed Godby utilise an emotional scale between ear shrilling screams and clean yearning tones. The way this range was delivered would prove very influential for renowned recent British acts like Architects and Devil Sold His Soul.

As the record goes along, there are songs that continued the band’s willingness to broaden their musical scope. ‘The Only One I Know’ is dynamically charged through emotive flits between tumultuous catharsis and mid tempo graciousness, whilst ‘Burning Surface’ eases the listener with a fleeting post-rock tinged start that builds towards the rage. On the other end of the spectrum though, Beecher do like to let rip in the velocity department; ‘Red Diesel’ and ‘Mercury Switch’ being clear examples. However, despite their own merits, they only ever so slightly pale in comparison to the more ambitiously driven tunes. Closer ‘Ladder Theory’ solidifies this with terrific results. It starts with elegant guitar notes accompanied by well composed bass and drums. Such foundational frailty is eventually torn down by Beecher’s destructive, pulsating and guttural heaviness. Eventually it all spirals downward, leading the album into an satisfyingly uncertain finish.


‘This Elegy, His Autopsy’

For their second and final album, Beecher would up their ante through naturally progressing the ideas they set out on their debut. The result would be a record that would show off a confident and innovative arsenal of the band’s own making. From the first third, the likes of ‘Function! Function!’ and ‘Knight the Arsonist’ feature the group’s core style of visceral shredding and calculating intricacies. As soon as such flashes of rage have passed, Beecher begin to demonstrate their other skills.

‘Not Guilty’ is a sludge hinged lumbering beast; amidst a serene and hopefully alt rock/post hardcore backdrop is the spoken word led ‘On the Day That He Became a Human Plumbline’; and then there’s the tectonic stoner rock riffs in ‘Man the Traps’. Such varied musicality within the band’s own metallic hardcore frame provides the listener with a terrific ear tingling experience. By the high pitched ring that follows climatic closer ‘Reach for the Gods’, you’ll want to refresh and hit play again.


So what can be learnt from Beecher overall? Well, they were an underrated outfit who proved to be an inspirational cornerstone for the underground British hardcore/metal scene. This Manchester band crafted a cacophony of ear throttling noise, swirling emotions and mathematically charged progression. Let’s hope that such sounds entice you, the readers, enough to make you want to discover them yourselves.