A Flash Flood Of Colour is the new album by Enter Shikari. It’s an urgent state-of-the-world address, an impassioned call to arms, an empowering liberation transmission aimed at the head, heart and hips. It’s an album about community, about love and friendship, about self-determination and self-respect. And if we might be so bold, in simple
A Flash Flood Of Colour is the new album by Enter Shikari. It’s an urgent state-of-the-world address, an impassioned call to arms, an empowering liberation transmission aimed at the head, heart and hips. It’s an album about community, about love and friendship, about self-determination and self-respect. And if we might be so bold, in simple terms, it’s the first great album of 2012.
Co-produced by the band and Dan Weller (Young Guns, Gallows) in Bang Saray, Thailand and London, England during May/June 2011, and mixed in Vancouver, Canada by Mike Fraser (AC/DC, Metallica, Biffy Clyro), A Flash Flood Of Colour is Enter Shikari’s third full-length studio album, the follow-up to 2009’s acclaimed Common Dreads. An incandescent snapshot of the modern age – of globalisation and recession, repression and protest, commerce and control, activism and engagement – it’s music for a newly jolted generation, a soundtrack for the mosh-pit, the dance floor and the front lines.
“We are the generation that are going to change the world,” says vocalist Rou Reynolds. “We have more power than any generation that has come before us. We have the power to choose whether we continue as a species and prosper or just literally ruin everything. We’re already seeing the signs of the collapse of our world and it’s got to that point now where we absolutely have to start changing. Or it’s game over.”
Down to brass tacks then. A Flash Flood Of Colour is 11 tracks of adrenalised, beats-heavy punkrockdubstephardcoremetalambienttechnonoisecore, custom-built to shake foundations. Preceded by first single Sssnakepit, a mind-melding amalgam of old school drum and bass and thrillingly propulsive disortopunk riffing which Zane Lowe immediately hailed as his Hottest Record upon its September release, it’s an album which distills the sound and fury of the modern world into a compelling, unified, slamming and utterly vital whole.
From the stirring wake-up call of opening track System… (‘Our generation’s got to fight to survive…’) through to the atmospheric, emotive kiss-off of Constellations (both an optimistic signpost to a brighter tomorrow and Rou’s open-hearted ‘thank you’ to the people, books, records and films that have shaped and guided Shikari on their journey thus far), A Flash Flood Of Colour throws up a dizzying, kaleidoscopic range of moods, tones and hues. From the aspirational positivity of Search Party (‘I know that we’re gonna find something new’) to the in-your-rage of Hello Tyrannosaurus, Meet Tyrannicide (a lacerating attack upon the 1%, inspired in part by the 1976 movie satire Network most famous for news anchor Howard Beale’s infamous ‘I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore!’ rant) via the schizophrenic soundclash of Ghandi, Mate, Ghandi and the punkish whomp of Arguing With Thermometers (surely the first song ever to namecheck Antartic explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton) it’s a collection as eclectic and euphoric as it is energising, a bold, brilliant blueprint for a new world order.
Time for a little history then: Enter Shikari (the name comes from a boat belonging to Rou’s uncle) formed in 2003, debuting their unique mesh of hardcore punk and breakbeat techno live at the Pioneer Youth Club in St Albans that April. From day one the quartet were determined to do things their own way, the DIY way, the right way. Between their first practise session and the March 2007 release of their debut album Take To The Skies on their own Ambush Reality label, the band played approximately 600 shows, crisscrossing the country countless times, building a huge buzz in the underground in the process. When Take To The Skies debuted in the UK album charts at Number 4 it sent shockwaves through the industry: here – at last! – was a revolution happening without permission. The band’s guerilla tactics soon received overdue recognition: as sales of the album pushed past 250,000 worldwide NME honoured the band with the John Peel Award for Innovation while Kerrang! magazine were moved to present the quartet with their coveted Spirit Of Independence Award. Commons Dreads followed in June 2009, showcasing the band’s newly awakened political and social consciousness in massive, arena-sized anthems such as Step Up, Juggernauts, No Sleep Tonight and Solidarity. Eighteen months on the road followed, as the band provoked riotous assemblies from Taunton to Tokyo and every major town in between, firmly establishing themselves as one of the world’s finest live bands. Which brings us neatly up to date, and the release of A Flash Flood Of Colour.
“Hopefully it’ll get people talking,” says Rou, “hopefully it’ll encourage dialogue and debate. We want to make people feel unified, empowered and positive, acting as a balance to all the negativity around us. People have come up to us at gigs and told us how our music has helped them, how it’s opened their eyes to this and that. And when you can literally see how you’re helping to change people’s outlooks and lives, that gives you the confidence to carry on going. It’s time for us to stand up. It’s time for us to shout loud. Because the clock is ticking for every one of us…” The fightback has to start somewhere. It has to start sometime. What better place than here? What better time than now? It’s in your hands now. Get involved.
Rou Reynolds (vocal/electronics)
Rory Clewlow (guitas/vocal)
Chris Batten (bass/vocal)
Rob Rolfe (drums)
ROAM
https://www.facebook.com/roamuk
Having existed for a mere two years, Roam is a fresh band that has already appeared among the most intriguing names of the prolific British pop punk scene.
In November 2013, Roam released the EP “Head Down”, its hit single “Head Rush” having recorded almost a hundred thousand views on YouTube and quickly becoming a hit in the UK underground pop punk scene, thus taking the band on a tour with no end, where they supported everyone from Neck Deep, Tonight Alive, Man Overboard, The Wonder Years and finally Enter Shikari, whom they are supporting on the current tour.
Head Rush – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWopRKjBUkI
Nothing In Return – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KP0r7wrZ0o
SHELL BEACH
Ranging from the intense, hardcore-inspired waves of chaos, to the quiet, ambient, dreamlike passages, the music played by Shell Beach represents our daily struggles in life and our pursuit to find happiness. The first full-length record, titled “Acronycal” showed that the band takes pride in their musical influences by acknowledgeing their many inspirations like Glassjaw, the Deftones, Refused or He Is Legend to name just a few. Four years later, in 2012, the band is ready to drop their much-anticipated sophomore effort, titled “This Is Desolation”. The style, songwriting skills and impact have evolved even more as evidenced by the forerunner single “The Greatest Skeptic”.
