Helpless: Golden Violence

Chances are we’ve all felt a little helpless at one point or another over the past few years. You won’t need us to explain why, but if you do relate then perhaps you’ll find solace in the second full-length from a band who take their name from that exact sentiment. Indeed, speaking to all three members of HELPLESS, that’s kind of the intention. “For the bands I really like, you can tell the only reason they make music as oppressively caustic and almost difficult to listen to is because it’s coming from a place of true darkness,” explains bassist Simon Walker. “I can put it on and feel a bit better because I know whoever wrote this is feeling exactly the same way I do, and I feel less alone. When I write with this band or with any other band I want to capture that feeling.”

Walker is one of two fresh faces fleshing out HELPLESS‘ line-up for this new record, the other being drummer Sam Trenchard. Together, the duo join founder and guitarist/vocalist Dan Couch for a scabrous outpouring of grinding hardcore that provides a long overdue follow-up to the band’s 2017 debut full-length. All of them agree that things just kind of fell into place with this new line-up, with Couch emphasising. “The writing has just naturally become different with Sam and Simon on board. For me it’s become more of where I wanted it to go, which is more of everything – noisier, more slow bits, more fast bits, more of everything! I suppose all bands want to top their last record and I think we’ve done it.”

For the new recruits, stepping into an established band comes with its own pressures, but both agree that they’ve still been able to bring some of their individual flair to proceedings. “The last thing I wanted was to come in and it be different,” stresses Walker. “I was a huge HELPLESS fan before I joined and I didn’t want it to be different. I also didn’t want people to point the finger at me and Sam and be like ‘they’ve fucked the band’, we’re just doing our best. Dan’s a humble dude so he won’t say it, but his playing really makes us all have to step our shit up. I was in a place where I was being fairly complacent with how I was writing and developing as a musician, and since joining I’ve had to step it up and it’s been a really good thing for me.”

As for the album itself, Caged In Gold runs no risk of disappointing long-time HELPLESS fans. It delivers on all of the band’s most compelling savagery whilst striking that fine balance between outward fury and inner reflection. “The whole album’s about illusions and manipulation – the illusions we create for ourselves and otherwise,” explains Couch. “I write a lot of lyrics that are directed at myself but also outwardly, just to check yourself really, to question yourself as well as everyone else. In a way I wish I could be less honest because I’m trying to get into my own brain a bit and then it comes out like this and it’s like ‘oh shit other people might be reading or listening’. But it’s good. I try and keep things somewhat vague; I want it to mean something to me personally but I don’t want to put that on other people.”

Couch may supply the lyrics, but all three of the band members agree that they find catharsis in what they do. For Trenchard, “it’s like an outlet to some extent. Taking negative thoughts and things that are going on and then letting my frustrations out by, for me, hitting drums and shouting. There’s no better therapy in my opinion. And it’s fun! You get to hang out with really good mates and go all over the place and play gigs and just have a good time. It’s the best thing that I can really think of doing. It kind of feeds from all the negative bullshit and it turns it into something which is social and creative and a good positive experience.”

Trenchard is also quick to emphasise the kind of physical release that comes with HELPLESS’ music. He adds, “I think especially after the lockdowns and periods of not really doing anything and not really playing drums, the first time coming back again was just like ‘Jesus Christ this hurts’. You’d get to the end of a four-hour practice or whatever and everything just aches. But that’s always a good thing. After playing a gig where you’ve literally just emptied the tank on it, or even after having a rehearsal and playing for hours, you get to the end of it and you might feel a bit tired or things might ache, but you’ve got that endorphin rush like after you a good workout I guess.”

As we come to wrap up, the band offer a few reflections on the wider situation for heavy music in the UK in 2022, with all of them agreeing that it’s a great time for our increasingly inclusive scene. Between them they namecheck more bands than we could list here, but, as Caged In Gold proves beyond a shadow of a doubt, HELPLESS are right up there with the very best of them.

Caged In Gold is out now via Church Road Records.

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