When I Was A Monster,
A Place Far AwayThere's a big problem with the post-hardcore scene at the moment. It's not that there's no good music coming out of it, it's just it is all coming from the wrong place. In the last few months alone we've been inundated with new albums from American hotshots Alexisonfire, From First to Last, The Fall of Troy, and so on. It's hard for a good British band to get a look in. Thankfully, South London's 'A Place Far Away' have hit the scene at just the right time, and with their new EP 'When I was a Monster', they look set to make some pretty big waves.
Right from opening track 'For you this is everything', the comparisons to some of America's big name bands are obvious. Dean Lewis manages to take melodical influence from bands such as Saosin and Circa Survive, and combine it with aggressive screams that give a definite nod to the likes of Bert McCracken and AOF's George Petit. Layered over some obviously metal guitar riffs, APFA have created a sound which is unique in today's music scene (at least in this country that is). Somewhat predictably the song descends into an acoustic breakdown, yet it's here that we have some sweet melodies and classically influenced acoustic arpeggios, which creates a vivid contrast from the aggression of the opening few minutes.
Title track 'When I was a Monster' is a much more brutal affair, with drumming and guitar riffs ready to melt your face off. It's here that we have the best chorus of the EP. Infectious in just the right way, you'll be singing along to the lines 'God you're glamorous, standing in the spotlight' before the end of your first listen. 'A Champion of Will' is a much faster paced track, and stands out from the rest of the EP as being the most daring here. The band's clearly talented drummer carries the song, and in parts there is some pretty relentless double-bass drumming that sounds almost physically impossible to produce.
It's great to hear some good post-hardcore/screamo like this coming out of our fair country. While at times it's predictable, and the guitar work isn't the most ambitious around at the moment, A Place Far Away have created 4 tracks here that can measure up to some of the big names over the pond. This is definitely a band to keep an eye out for in the coming months.
Andrew
» Official Website
» Listen on Myspace
