Breach is a collection of fairly raw indie offerings that take the rhythm and mild ambiance of amplified rock music and use it to drive forwards an array of ideas and melodies that have a certain character and freshness about them. Beginning with All Through, the gritty edge of the sound is perhaps the first thing to grab you, the leading vocalist is likely to be next. The tone and performance style of the leading voice notably adds to the character and individuality of the band’s sound. The additional vocals later present a welcome dynamic, and as things progress, the overall build up of their compositions becomes more and more recognisable.
On The Hill Stairs takes the sense of character sky high. The leading riff is simple yet memorable, the space surrounding it lets you really familiarise yourself with the voice again, the spoken word style of the verses sends the lyrics through in a mildly poetic and classic indie-rock sort of manner. The story line pulls you in, the quirkiness of it, the evolution. The hook sections showcase a striking rise in energy, a trait that reappears throughout the project. The space turns to weight, the quiet to loud, and these various instruments and vocals collide and surround you in a chaotic and quite mesmerising way.
Cause is a song that brings the distorted heaviness to the forefront, a darkness matched by the simplicity of the two-note verse melody and the relentlessness of the drum line. It’s a track that teeters towards the pink-rock world a bit, the energy is fairly high from the offset, but once again it rises and rises as the song progresses, making you feel as if you’re tumbling further and further down the rabbit hole. Then you get the well placed, mellow energy of Iconic Nobody, a song with a beautiful opening guitar riff and a really enjoyable verse melody and story line. The shortness of each line makes it easy to absorb and involve yourself in, so you hang on the ideas, you follow them along, and you feel connected to the emotional honesty and modern relevance of it all.
I Can’t Believe brings the intensity back with heaviness and a fast pace. The to-and-fro between the vocal parts and the riff-led parts makes for a structurally interesting and colourful listening experience. The character and creative freedom of it is really not something you hear too much of these days, the band are doing their own thing entirely and this project consistently underlines that. Straight And Narrow is another well placed moment of variation. The atmospheric ambiance of the introduction has a slightly haunting and provocative air about it. The swagger of the guitar parts that follow adds a distant touch of country rock and roll to the mix, the lyricism actually reinforces this a little – the story telling, the tired sound of the voices, the slightly drunken feeling the music puts forth.
Following this, You Can See offers up an indie-rock anthem that is once again infused with a slightly blues-rock or country-rock vibe. The sound is big, kind of live sounding – something that seems possible throughout the album. You get a strong sense of precisely what a live show from Nails Hide Metal would be like. Then things come to a close with Bend The Day, and ambient one again, the classic sound of a reverb soaked indie band with a need to consider and express their own unique perspectives, in their own unique way. The chords chosen here represent the concept quite well, there’s a hopefulness to it, a brightness even, and this increases the further along you get within the song. It’s a great way to finish.
Check out the album on Reverbnation. Find & follow Nails Hide Metal on Facebook or visit their Website for more information.
