EP REVIEW: Nothing Will Change – Masquerader
Born out of the London commuter belt, MASQUERADER are now based in Reading. The trio decided early on to skip out on guitars altogether and use electronics instead, and their DIY approach has already made waves in their local scene. Now, the band are ready to unleash their unique brand of math-punk to the masses, as their debut EP Nothing Will Change is released.
i.am.masquerader leaves little room for a polite introduction. It’s a real juggernaut of an opener, full of electronics that could easily have come from the early 00s rave scene, and the use of rapping is a unique way to get the vocals across in the incredibly short runtime. It might be a bit too much for some, especially with the instruments overwhelming the electronics at the end of the song, but Pressure (Holy Trinity Cut) manages to even things out. It’s twice as long as the opening song, and while it drags a little in the middle where not a lot is going on instrument-wise, it picks back up in its final third to end strongly.
The band try some ambitious things on this EP too, such as the six-and-a-half minute Paper Thin, which is extremely experimental and makes the most of the electronic elements of their sound. However, as with a lot of the songs on the record, sometimes the punk side of things feels a bit more muffled. The instruments are there, it is just hard to hear them at some points. The latter half of the EP does try to rectify this. The mostly-instrumental interlude Heirloom is a nice bridge to the closing song Mellify, a fast-paced punk-electronic song, but there are still a few issues with the mix, such as the way the drums are a little drowned out by the electronics. It is a shame because the band have something going for them. They make really good electronic music, and they take a unique approach to the vocals. However, the instruments are sometimes lost in the noise.
Overall, MASQUERADER have got off to a strong start. There are a few issues with this EP, but this is still early days for the band, so there is still plenty of time for them to work on their craft. It is ambitious of them to rip up the rulebook and do their own thing, and they clearly excel at the electronic side of things especially. They are confident, and the songs sound really good. Unfortunately, it’s what you might call the more traditional punk elements that don’t fare quite as well; whilst the sounds are there, they can be drowned out by the electronics. Also, the wildly different song lengths leave the EP sounding a little bit disorganised; the longer songs do tend to drag on and the shorter songs fly by. But there is something charming about Nothing Will Change’s way of ripping up the rulebook of how an electronic-punk band should sound. Whilst it isn’t quite nailed on this EP, there is a lot of potential for future releases.
Rating: 6/10
Nothing Will Change is out now via self-release.
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