{"id":266,"date":"2018-02-08T11:33:57","date_gmt":"2018-02-08T11:33:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alreadyheard.com\/staging\/review-winchester-life-begins-at-these-dead\/"},"modified":"2023-02-02T08:37:29","modified_gmt":"2023-02-02T08:37:29","slug":"review-winchester-life-begins-at-these-dead","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alreadyheard.com\/staging\/review-winchester-life-begins-at-these-dead\/","title":{"rendered":"Review:\u00a0Winchester – Life Begins At These Dead Ends"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"It\u2019s always gratifying to see a new band come along that are serious about what they\u2019re doing and aren\u2019t just winging it. They may have a whole bunch of influences vying for attention in a sound you could loosely describe as post-hardcore, but UK three-piece Winchester<\/b> have got the riffs, the songs and the talent to put together their own eclectic take on modern alternative rock.<\/p>\n

It is clear from the atmospheric opening to \u2018Life Begins\u2019<\/i> that this is a record to be taken seriously. By the time the plaintive vocal has been shot down by a searing riff that twists inside itself, it\u2019s clear they mean business. We are talking about a well-arranged tune with multiple textures that sets an engagingly attacking tone for the rest of the record.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Despite the aggressive overtone, they still boast something of a commercial edge; ‘Diamond\u2019<\/i>, for instance, boasts a smooth ear-friendly chorus, while sacrificing none of their harder edges. There are more attacking riffs on tracks like ‘Animal\u2019<\/i>, the slow boiling ‘Problem\u2019<\/i> and the Korn-esque ‘Line Up\u2019<\/i>. Again, they nail the killer hooks, especially on ‘Line Up\u2019<\/i>, which is an obvious circle pit filler, despite dropping an introspective mid-section before soaring to an epic climax. It\u2019s a prime example of the band\u2019s versatility and classy songwriting.<\/p>\n

They show off serious musical chops on the instrumental ‘At These\u2019<\/i>; its sinister chimes give way to a pulsating bass line and staccato riffing that grows into a massive wall of sound. It helps balance the record between the heavier tracks and emotive numbers like ‘Safe in Sound\u2019<\/i> and the more reflective ‘Set Me Apart\u2019<\/i>. Although the slightly disjointed ‘Dead Ends\u2019<\/i> is a little bland by comparison to other tracks, it takes an interesting instrumental turn at about halfway to finish the album on a strong note.<\/p>\n

The overall result is pretty damn satisfying, as what you have here is a seriously talented band with some excellently worked songs that not only sound current but have the band\u2019s own stamp. Great record.<\/p>\n

4.5\/5<\/p>\n