This self-titled debut EP by Cattle might very well be the earliest 2013 release to appear on (((o))) with its release date January 1st. They’re early. And they’re angry.
All I know about these guys is that they’re from Leeds and when describing their story they put it like this: “Three boys came together and then they heard noise and rock and then they became men”.’These men do not play noise and rock though; the two blend furiously well together in this gut wrenching mix of noise rock and hardcore.
The big highlight among these four solid tracks is the two and a half minute short ‘Sun Fangs and Wide Eyes’ where a noisy riff during the opening and the ending seconds has been worth every single listen. The riff is not put on repeat to send the song into boredom though, which is probably for the best; it nearly demands the control over my mind. It’s that catchy.
The chaotic ending ‘Pyramid Shape Hole’ features quite a lot of what I find so appealing about Cattle: The surprisingly dominant bass with its dark and thick sound which is similar to noise rock acts such as Liars and Noxagt. The opening‘Rockets’ however is a fine example of how well they shift quickly between the simplicity and the chaos. In these contrasts and these different qualities lies their strength: The ability to show variation during this short, but packed record.
It sucks you in, keep you there and then spit you out. What a way to start the year.
Cattle EP is out now and available for ‘name your price’ download through here.
Review by Bjarte Edvardsen.
