Sometimes you need some music that doesn’t follow set rules. Sometimes you need some music that makes you want to stop everything you’re doing and play the air drums or air guitar like there’s nothing else. Sometimes you need some music that makes you want to throw your pint in the air and start dancing frantically. Sometimes you just need some music that makes you want to listen to the album again and again to try and find out exactly what the rhythm change was that you heard in that song. Silent Front make such music.
The Londoners have been around on the local DIY circuit for some time now, since the late 90s to be exact, and they have released various split releases, and last 2010 their debut full length Dead Lake. They have toured extensively across the UK and Europe and they even found the time and dedication to start their own record label Triplejump Records. So, they have been quite busy and through all of these activities they have built up a reputation within the local DIY music community, not only as one of London’s best live bands. They now released their next full length album Trust through Function Records.
Silent Front is a three piece and their music can best be described as a huge noise-rock/post-punk/math-rock/post-hardcore melting pot, and comparisons with legendary names such as The Jesus Lizard, Drive Like Jehu and Shellac are easily made. The production sounds similar to these bands and there is the same raw energy and brilliantly skilful playing, with rhythms jumping all over the place.
It’s not all raw energy and mathy rhythms though as Silent Front incorporates plenty of quieter pieces, starting midway through first track ‘Mechanical Grip’ and recurring throughout Trust, such as on the beautiful instrumental intermezzo track ‘Confiance’. But then in the next track ‘Nails’ it’s all pure noise, dissonance, crazy mathy rhtythms, shouty vocals and uptempo energy again, grinding its way through to the end of this 8 track release.
I have not seen these guys live yet but listening to Trust gives me a pretty good indication on what to expect. Energy, sweat, flying beers and lots of dancing! They’re about to embark on another UK tour that no doubt will go down nicely again. First thing I thought when I listened to Trust was that these guys should hook up with Glasgow post-punk/hardcore band Thin Privilege and then I found out this is exactly what they’ve done! Go and see them if you can manage and grab a copy of their new album while you’re at it. Or pre-order through here.
