Jude The Obscure are from Grimsby. Sadly it’s Grimsby, Ontario, Canada and not North East Lincolnshire, home to fish, fish and more fish. Oh, and me. Still, it’s cool to think that bands can come out of small towns and bleak places and have some kind of international impact. Jude The Obscure certainly come from somewhere that has pissed them off, frustrated them and caused them to lose their marbles, for ‘The Coldest Winter’ is an aggressive bitch of a record which twists, taunts and leaves your brain in tatters. If you think Funeral For A Friend are hardcore, you’re in for a shock…
I could use lots of metaphors or adjectives which involve death, torture and massacres, but that would be too predictable for a band that has a mortician’s son among their ranks. Truth be told JTO rock like a bastard – if you like the brutality of bands such as Hatebreed and Norma Jean then this is the perfect record for you. If you don’t, then this probably won’t turn you on to the genre, because ‘The Coldest Winter’ is far from accessible. Although Give Up The Ghost have certainly opened their minds to refining their sound, JTO just go for the biggest, bludgeoning riffs that batter and torment until you submit – either by loving the band or reaching for the off switch.
But enough of the flowery history, on to the songs and well, it’s personally too much for me. I like structure and melody in my songs and, well, JTO don’t really have any of either. Everything’s organised chaos, riffs explode from nowhere, the screams punish and the longer the album goes on the more weird and wonderful it gets. There’s no doubt the band do this well, which is reflected in the score I’ve given the record, but it’s not for me. For example, ‘Fingernails and Lampshades’ has no structure at all, and while it does experiment with the dynamics and power it’s too complex for my liking. The same could be said about ‘Stab’ or ‘Seven Steps Remix’, tracks splattered with metallic riffs and murderous screams. ‘Wake Up My Love’ dares to be different with a far more melodic, if incredibly eerie sound, but even then the off-kilter drums throw away the genre rulebook.
In terms of power, aggressiveness and complexity, this is a record that has rightly gained critical praise but it’s personally not something I could listen to regularly. Still, access it in short bursts and with an open mind and you can’t help but admire the adventure and musicianship on display. It’s too easy to comply these days, at least Jude The Obscure dare to be different.
Defiance Records
Paul