Chaos Reigns: Pushing Hardcore As Far As Possible
Punk, pop-punk, metal, post-hardcore, prog rock. These are examples of genres found in the ‘heavier’ music scene. But in today’s music scene, genre is more of a guideline than a hard and fast category. CHAOS REIGNS are an up-and-coming band armed with debut EP Sweet Violence. We got the opportunity to chat with bassist Billy Padmore and vocalist Jason Heightman. They’ve described the EP as subverting the usual expectations of metal.
Billy uses the band CONVERGE as an example. “When you think of hardcore, it’s chuggy and riffy. Yet CONVERGE, arguably one of the most important bands in that scene, don’t do that. They do have these heavy moments. But they manage to create a name for themselves in this genre.”
Over the years genre has become less about ticking specific boxes and more about pushing boundaries. This gave CHAOS REIGNS the confidence and freedom to turn their new EP into their genre-bending playground. While also diving into juxtaposing themes demonstrated by the EP title and on tracks Like Violent Delights. They decided to focus on exploring “the grey area that exists between contrasting words”.
Whether a band has been banging out tunes for decades or a musician is embarking on a new sonic endeavour. The cult of personality has a part to play in artists having the confidence to take risks. An artist’s music is often traditionally guided by a genre. Jason comments on this; “I don’t think genres exist in the same way that they did 20 years ago.” Genres are becoming less defined, and artists are allowing themselves the freedom to explore and not be boxed in. This is not only happening in the hardcore or alternative scenes. Looking at more mainstream artists this year alone, BEYONCE and POST MALONE realised country-style albums. Both artists are not exactly known for their twangy tunes, but their fans followed them.
It poses the question of whether the cult of personality has a part to play in artists having the confidence to take risks. As FALL OUT BOY said, “If you build it, they will come”. The artist POPPY could be seen as an example. She started as a curiously ominous viral video on YouTube preceding any music releases. She was just this concept of POPPY. As she grows as an artist, her albums have been getting heavier and sonically more dynamic. Lest we forget, she’s also responsible for the pop banger Girls In Bikinis, quite the contrast to Nothing on her latest album. It seems Artists are embracing and trusting their audiences more.
Audiences aren’t boxing themselves in either. There is space for fans of specific genres to admit to liking music of an opposing sound. SABRINA CARPENTER has been showing up more often in the preshow playlist at hardcore shows, and those TAYLOR SWIFT t-shirts with metal font aren’t necessarily ironic. The expansion and pollution of different styles of music is what leads Jason to refer to it as “this beautiful melting pot of music at the moment. It’s a really exciting time to take yourself outside of the box of your sound.”
Sweet Violence is a fine example of musicians taking themselves outside of their box. It’s a grungey cacophony of inspirations through the ages. Their eyes lit up when it came to chatting about taking their songs from studio to stage. As Billy explains, “we do the recording so that we can then play live.” The latest single released, Violent Delights, has a live video and the energy just emanates through the screen. “It’s woven into the fibre of the band. There’s this energy transference like we’ve passed the baton over to the audience.” Jason also highlights that this is his debut as a frontman, likening it to being an MC of the whole show. “If the audience is going off and getting into it, we must be doing something right.” It was clear one of the most important parts of creating music for this band was the live shows.
It’s no mean feat to win over a crowd that’s unfamiliar with a band’s music. But when successful, live performances can be huge opportunities for bands, especially newcomers. For their EP launch show in London, they’re bringing DEATH GOALS, NEON RITUALS and MONOCHROME to kick off the night. Never missing a beat, they highlight the reasons for choosing these bands other than love and respect for their talents. “I know how difficult it is when you’re first starting out to get opportunities in other cities. So many bands just end up stuck on the same gig circuit, playing within like, you know, a 10-mile square radius of their home.” Not to mention the ever-worsening threats to smaller venues, ultimately making gig opportunities few and far between for bands trying to grow a platform.
Making friends and building bonds for life is par for the course in the music scene. As is inviting friends to contribute to tracks. This band is no different, MALLORY KNOX’s Mikey Chapman makes an appearance on the closing track. It was no industry meet-cute that led to this collab, but a friendship going way back to their schoolboy days. Chapmam features on a touchingly vulnerable track about friendship, fears and loss. Harkening back to seeing genre as a playground, this track is full of unabashed freedom and vocal creativity. It has emotional vulnerability and an added layer of both vocalists resonating with its story turning it into something really special.
One of the main takeaways from the chat with CHAOS REIGNS is the unwavering respect they have for music, the music scene and music fans. The acknowledgement that once it’s out there, it becomes everybody’s. And the poignancy of sharing the deepest parts of ourselves with strangers. “If a song resonates with you and means something quite important to you, then that’s a feeling that no one can take away from you”. Jason also spoke on how a song can immortalise a person or an emotion not just for the writer but for listeners alike.
Sweet Violence is out now via self-release. View this interview, alongside dozens of other killer bands, in glorious print magazine fashion in DS116 here:
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