ALBUM REVIEW: The Live Long After – Sugar Horse

The UK has developed a real knack for harbouring a plethora of really interesting alternative rock and metal bands over the years. Following in the wake of groups like OCEANSIZE and HER NAME IS CALLA, the Bristolian quartet SUGAR HORSE are the latest in line for representing the best of British alternative music. Drawing from a wide pool of influences, the band have carved themselves a fascinating niche in the UK music scene, one that deserves all the praise that can be given.

Released in a year of unknowns, which is a lyrical theme that runs through the record, The Live Long After is a powerhouse of a record. There is so much musical dexterity across the nine songs, and each listen reveals more and more. The massive opening riff on I Am Not Now, Nor Have Ever Been… is layered on thick, leading into Shouting Judas At Bob Dylan, where listeners are blasted by one of the most insistent dooms riffs of the year. This song sums up SUGAR HORSE‘s musical skill so well, as it incorporates not just their sheer heaviness, but their propensity for creating an enthralling, ambient soundscape. After that, Fat Dracula barrels along with verses straight out of 80s post punk, before giving way to a walls of delicious discordant noise.

Where the album goes from great to brilliant is from Phil Spector In Hell onwards, where SUGAR HORSE really flex their compositional muscles. Starting with the warm and calming aforementioned Phil Spector In Hell, the band begin to elongate their compositions from here, but at no point do any of the songs outstay their welcome. The stark changes of mood on The Live Long After really entice us in as listeners before we are blasted with one of the band’s huge riffs. Dadcore World Cup features some of the best textural work on the record, all building towards a truly epic crescendo.

Completing the album is … A Las Vegas Showgirl, a song which harkens back to a theme introduced on the opening track of the album. Based on an ancient piece of Byzantine church music, the tolling of the heavy guitars leaves the listener with a constant sense of forward motion, even if that motion is slow, measured and totally controlled. SUGAR HORSE are definitely a band to look out for.

Rating: 9/10

The Live Long After is out now via Small Pond Records.

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