Genres, who needs them? What better way for genre-bending Glamour Of The Kill to sign off from the Download Freezes Over tour and supporting Skindred than with an EP showcasing everything we love about them. The York quartet are back for more with 5 tracks inspired by their tours with friends Escape The Fate and Papa Roach, venturing partly into the dark and sinister while maintaining their vibrant groove-inducing roots.
Hair metal went out of fashion as quickly as it came in, but GOTK keep the 80s vibe alive and kicking with their extravagant theatrics, energised live shows and dedication to their fan base. If you thought the band-fan relationship had deteriorated in recent years, take one look at GOTK and you’ll see an awe-inspiring drive to involve themselves in every aspect of their music. By crowdfunding the self-released ‘After Hours’ EP, the band is determined to prove they’re here to stay, but they won’t succumb to the industry’s profiteering and pre-empted musical direction.
‘Lights Down’ opens the EP with the tricksy nostalgic electrics we know and love from GOTK. Ben Thompson’s drum work is astounding on this track and is well deservedly emphasised with plenty of solo airtime. Before long, Davey Richmond’s emphatic, sassy vocals storm their way in, bursting with character from the onset. Although it’s impossible to stay still listening to anything from this band, this is their catchiest and optimistic yet. It’s probably pure coincidence this sounds a lot like Fozzy’s ‘Lights Go Out’, but that’s testament to GOTK’s talents of predicting popular appeal.
The captivating revenge tune of ‘We Are All Cursed’ suits GOTK’s relentless talent down to the ground. Mike Kingswood’s trademark intricate guitar solo establishes a perfect atmosphere for the track’s emotionally-charged post-hardcore inspiration. Venturing into a lot darker realms than before, GOTK have taken a risk here and it’s paid off. Similarly, ‘Out Of Control’ pushes Jacoby Shaddix of Papa Roach’s anticipated appearance above and beyond all expectations. Every atom of aggression from both vocalists emerges through a punchy dialogue, producing an infectious vengeance anthem warning of the danger ahead.
The roof-raising opening line to ‘Earthquake’ is a note-perfect tribute to Escape The Fate, whose vocalist Craig Mabbitt provides his emphatic vocals for this track. Relentless drums and a punishing bass line build an atmospheric edge to complement GOTK’s traditional sassy, compelling lyrics. The complementary vocals of Richmond and Mabbitt work together seamlessly, however, at a running time of 2 minutes 45, this is just shy of enough time to showcase both to their full extent.
A tremendously dark opening line to ‘Blood Drunk’ shows GOTK are already becoming experts at this new sinister approach. A reflective, larger-than-life chanting chorus backed by gang vocals adds a truckload of atmosphere and depth. This track showcases one of the best guitar solos emerging from the scene in recent years – Kingswood’s screaming rhythmic electric solo leaves jaws firmly on the floor and builds the EP to a crescendo of heavy post-hardcore that demonstrates each and every member’s talents.
As far as EP’s go, ’After Hours’ is a game-changer. Shifting from their recognisable optimistic sing-alongs for the most part, these 5 tracks demonstrate a drastic change for Glamour Of The Kill, but you’d never guess they were anything but naturals in the field of dark, heavy and infectious anthems.
4/5
’After Hours’ EP by Glamour Of The Kill is out now.
Glamour Of The Kill links: Facebook|Twitter
Words by Ali Cooper (@AliZombie_)
