EP REVIEW: Brond – Feint
WORDS: Alex Piercy
A Chuck Norris worthy kick to the teeth, the first thought that come to mind when listening to upcoming talent BROND’s new release Feint. Immediately from the initial thirty seconds of opening track Raramuri Promise you’re going to realise this isn’t going to be your run of the mill verse chorus verse chorus blast beat rhythm band.
Being BROND’s first release they have decided that they want their first impressions on listeners to be a manic storm of chaos a bold but effective decision that will resonate more with some than others. They throw the listener headfirst into the deep end from the get go, sending them into a daze of confusion from the complex mathematical based AT THE DRIVE IN-eque guitar leads, that usher nicely into the less stimulating but unbelievably catchy chorus riff. It only takes this short but sweet track (clocking in at 2:52) to show you BROND seem determined to be different from the rest of their competition yet fail to shake their influences from lingering in your subconscious.
There is elements of multiple acts throughout the E.P especially MELVINS, HELMET and at times Petar Peikov can even tap into the aura of Tom Morello quality riffage. Atlantic Empress in particular is hard not to compare against the equally mesmerizing opening riff of FALL OF TROY’s F.C.P.R.E.M.I.X, but may sadly loses that essential grip on your attention as the track begins to progress into less memorable lines.
However The E.P ends on a strong note with Lava Divers, arguably the best track on the whole record drawing on all the best elements that the band display throughout the rest of Feint. Though it may take a few second for the listener to lock into the interesting and diverse rhythms it’s nice to hear a new band such as BROND be brave enough to experiment with a variety of complex rhythmical changes throughout a single track, displaying a technicality and mastery of playing technique that is rarely explored by less confident or talented musicians.
Unfortunately by the end of the record it’s hard to leave with any memory or opinion to the lyrics presented. From the lyrical content/context alone you can tell BROND focus on the melodic aspect of their song writing leaving the vocals forced into the background. Though this allows the more technical instrumentals to shine through, this along with the choice to have all four members provide vocals throughout the record ends up making it difficult for the listener to connect to any of the tracks emotionally.
Feint is an excellent, brave yet flawed debut record from a band with an extreme amount of potential. They easily let you know from the 4 tracks on offer here they are a band who are bursting with energy, talent and an eagerness to get the pits rolling. The production is excellent for a debut but could still do with a bit of tweaking when the money starts flowing in and assigning a dedicated frontman may gain them more fans in the future. However this shouldn’t put you off at all, this is simply stating some points that will resonate more with certain individuals then other, at the end of the day there are some great tracks here, and BROND are certainly an interesting new band that you need to keep an eye out for as they continue their journey.
Rating: 6/10
Feint is out now via Magnetic Eye Records.
