Every band has a platform to encourage change and teach equality to their audience but many don’t utilise it anywhere near as well as they could. Not London’s COPE though, or Challenge Oppression Pursue Equality to give them their full name. Preaching a message of tolerance and acceptance over the top of their meaty metalcore output, the band are now all set to drop their debut EP and it ain’t half a wake up call.
There’s a lot to be angry about in 2016 and it would be easy for bands to write music that just belittles those in the wrong with their bile and anger. COPE take a different route though. Though their mix of skull cracking breakdowns and booming drums is certainly an angry release, the subjects they choose to probe at are a bit more positive.
Through the pit swelling beats of ‘Crooks And Thieves’, the head banging groove of ‘Voyage’ and sky high sentiment of ‘Season’s Ending’ the band use their voice to try and unite us rather divide, and focus on what humanity is capable of rather than what it has done wrong. A nice change from all the doom and gloom we have become so used to.
‘Challenge Oppression // Pursue Equality’ is one hell of a statement of intent from COPE. Injecting inspiring and topical content in their lyrics while still being heavy enough to interest the mosher in all of us, if all is right the band’s platform will be getting bigger and bigger as time goes on.
3.5/5
‘Challenge Oppression // Pursue Equality’ by COPE is released on November 11th.
Words by Jack Rogers (@JackMRog)
