Sorry You’re Not A Winner/OK! Time For Plan B,
Enter ShikariWhat can I say that hasn’t already been said about Enter Shikari? Every man, woman and dog will have an opinion of the Hertfordshire quartet, and there isn’t much I can write here which will change that opinion. The fact that so many people have managed to make a judgement however is clearly a testament to the band. Their impressive rise is down to a combination of constant touring and that ‘something different’ the band seem to possess.
So is it deserved? Well you could argue that any band that plays as many gigs as Enter Shikari has in their short life deserve all the success that’s been thrown at them. But you could also argue that there are many more talented bands in the UK that are making more interesting and higher quality songs. The band mix elements of trance and electronica with quite a stereotypical modern metal sound which is being brought to the masses by the likes of penknifelovelife and BMTH. ‘Sorry You’re Not A Winner’, while relatively catchy in places, isn’t as innovative as I expected, as the added synth doesn’t do much to excite or interest the listener. ‘OK! Time For Plan B’ has slightly more going for it, with the synth being used to much better effect. However, the song is split up into two parts for me – the chorus on one hand is an upbeat and pleasant few seconds, but unfortunately the other hand consists of an average metal/hardcore sound (whatever the kids are calling it these days), with ‘chug chug’ riffs and growled vocals that don’t bode too well with me. The bonus track ‘The Feast’ is more of the same - promising at times, but the circus style synth isn’t going to save the band from being lumped into the same category as all the other bands doing the rounds right now.
I think Enter Shikari are very much a ‘love/hate’ band, and I may have disappointed just about everybody with this review by finding them so distinctly average. Kudos for such a busy touring schedule, but I do wonder how long their ‘fame’ will last, and whether it’s all just a fad.
Andrew C
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