Now this four piece from Derry is something worth getting excited about! What we’ve got here is a band that ticks all the boxes – Hot rocking tunes? Got ‘em. Killer vocals? Got ‘em. Old school work ethic? Got it. Sass? You betcha. After the best part of three years touring themselves silly, these versatile alternative rockers have delivered a fine showcase on this, their third EP.

The aggressive opening to ‘Bad Blood’ soon gives way to a hard rock groove, but the raspy vocal from the versatile Emma Gallagher and cool riffing of Paul Monk adds real quality to this strong opener. ‘Call Me Out’ then ups the ante with another great riff and a more measured approach. This nicely constructed song really creeps up on you, it’s definitely got something, be it in the hook or the heavy epic finale with the soaring solo.

Making Monsters is very strong instrumentally, as they prove on the first single ‘Better’, which is layered with great riffing, although it lacks the knockout punch of an obvious hook. They make amends immediately though, the huge chorus to ‘We Aren’t Living’ showing great pop sensibilities, without sacrificing style or heaviness; the touch of ska to the groove in the bridge and the unexpected atmospheric pause make for a killer tune.

The final two songs maintain the high standard; the swirling bass riff and hard-hitting guitars of ‘Rose’ underpin another track deserving of airtime on any quality rock show. ‘Noodle Sync’, meanwhile, shows a bolder dimension to this likeable band; the hardcore fury on this frantic rocker highlights Emma’s vocal versatility and is the sound of a band throwing caution to the wind to really shred and deliver a hard-hitting finale.

In this day and age success is by no means guaranteed, but when you’ve got this kind of quality in terms of songs and talent, you’d imagine they’ve gotta be in with a shout.

4.5/5

‘Bad Blood EP’ by Making Monsters is released on 13th May.

Making Monsters links: Website|Facebook|Twitter

Words by Edward Layland (@EdwardLayland)