REVIEW ROUND-UP: Rarity, Perennial, Red Vanilla, Cobra The Impaler

Rarity

Lower Feeling

Back in the day (as in 2016-ish), you’d have people beside themselves ready to bathe Rarity in hype. “Wow, a band combining pop-punk and post-hardcore?!” they’d say, oblivious to how quickly that flame would die out. Regardless of the margins of difference that set them apart, Rarity were ultimately among the many casualties of the late-2010s’ pop-punk purge. But compared to others who were either snuffed out or tried to keep impotently paddling along, Rarity’s post-hardcore side have proven a fallback that very few have the luxury of. It’s better than nothing, anyway, if only to provide a vestige of career longevity, albeit one with far less of a spotlight.

So bravo for Rarity for ploughing forth, then, even if they still aren’t setting the world alight by any metric. On Lower Feeling, they prove dab hands at a good chorus, but they’re frequently sandwiched in post-hardcore dressing that itself is right down the middle. The positive within all that is how it’s never totally bad. Outside of a clumsy half-rapped cadence suprisingly early on with Brain Dance, it’s all neatly assembled in a way that makes Rarity look exceedingly competent. They know what they’re doing with all this, and the snarl and snap in Loeden Learn’s voice is an ideal way to tie up their darker, stormier palette. And more often than not, Rarity’s favouring of the sharpness of their craft gives them some stickiness, on OKAY or Kiss! or a pleasing amount of this album that can leave a bit of a mark when it hits.

Not a mark that lasts long, mind, which, in the grand scheme of things, appears par for the course. If it were more, Rarity would have lasted beyond the 15 minutes they’re almost a decade removed from now; there really is a cap placed on bands who’ve gone through this exact arc. The streams of misanthropy in the writing aren’t empowered, nor is the foundation of 2000s-2010s post-hardcore that seems designed to trigger the nostalgia gland as opposed to do something new. The hints of Silverstein or Senses Fail might be pleasant for a quick rush but they don’t last. It’s probably appropriate that Lower Feeling is as relatively brisk as it is, then—not lingering on something that isn’t that special actually takes a lot of the burden off.

To that end, Lower Feeling does earn a recommendation, but one festooned with caveats. It’s pretty good on its own though a far cry from the best of the style, the acknowledgment of which isn’t the easiest to look past. In that context, Rarity are consigned to being an accompaniment to the scene, or another helping to fill a hole. Perhaps that might seem harshly dismissive for an album that is otherwise fine, but a band like this who once had the benefit of genuine cultural clout can afford to do more. On paper, Rarity could be the comeback kids of their scene; in practice, they’re sat at the sidelines making the occasional motivational shout. • LN

For fans of: Trophy Eyes, Silverstein, Real Friends

‘Lower Feeling’ by Rarity is released on 7th June on New Damage Records.

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Perennial

Art History

Okay, so what’s the reason now for why Perennial aren’t beloved yet? Because they’re a bit weird? Not being funny, but that seems like a pretty flimsy excuse when a) compared to some of the sources they draw form, they’re not that weird, and b) they’re regularly excellent at what they do. If you were to trust anyone to prune back all the navel-gazing of art-rock so that its angular post-hardcore skeleton is what’s left, Perennial would be right at the top of that list—they’re just that good at it. So here’s another album of exactly that, because why futz around with something else when what’s already there is still so exciting and cool?

Art History, then, is very much a clear extension of everything that Perennial have established up to now. With compositions like razor-wire atypically having more than two minutes in ‘em, the ethos is unquestionably that of punk and hardcore’s knifesmiths for whom little-but-often blitzes are the way to go. Chelsey Hahn and Chad Jewett yap out their respective non-sequitur lyrics against these sweltering, pulsating shards of multicoloured noise. Among all of that is some frankly insane accessibility, dampened at the most minute value by some odd synth warps, but not enough to disrupt a package so tight, it might as well be vacuum-sealed.

Honestly, with a bit more spring reverb laid on, you could make a credible argument for this being borderline surf-rock at times. It fits with Perennial’s classic-pop kernel if nothing else, which gets flexed on Up-tight and Tiger Technique and the prehistoric-prog synth stings on The Mystery Tone. Again, it’s a case of the building blocks being kooky and vibrant enough that significant deviation really isn’t necessary. The album runs at such a brisk clip anyway; moments of downtime are pretty sparing as it is. As such, Perennial bash out these songs in a way that comes so naturally, it almost seems too basic. The alchemical bonds are just that tight, without even an inkling of strain to be found.

All of that is very standard of Perennial, which makes Art History that much more sweet to dig into. The last couple of years and releases has solidified a reputation where this is the norm, and more of that isn’t cause for complaint. It furthers them, if anything, forming connections to something so immediate and punchy that aren’t being broken any time soon. So, yeah, there’s no reason to not get onto Perennial now. Take this as the jumping-off point and go wild from there; it’s all good. • LN

For fans of: At The Drive In, The Blood Brothers, Marmozets

‘Art History’ by Perennial is released on 7th June on Safe Suburban Home.

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Red Vanilla

Days Of Grey

Ah, the proud Scottish tradition of ridiculously solid alt-rock exports! With a name that sounds like a cake and a sound that can be fittingly rich and sweet, Red Vanilla are clearly doing well by their home nation’s lineage. And with such a stacked cast of heavyweights to be positioned among, that’s good going for a debut EP. Maybe it’s some local mojo in the air that finds Red Vanilla skirting past any teething stages; maybe they’re just that good. Either way, Days Of Grey is succinctly ready from prime time, from just about every angle.

There’s a rather broad spectrum of alt-rock players borrowed from here, not just the reliable staples of Biffy Clyro and Twin Atlantic and maybe Idlewild. They do show up, invariably (Anna Forsyth retaining her Scottish accent will likely fuel those comparisons on its own), but plucking out Wolf Alice on Embers and All These Better Things and even a soupçon of The 1975’s earlier shimmer on Oria makes for a much more well-rounded package. Add in some sky-high chorus drama fitting of Paramore also on Oria as well as Velvet, and that’s a considerable jump up again. And that’s a genuine Paramore comparison, to be frank; not the hack-writer ‘every band with a woman is automatically like Paramore’ knee-jerk. They’re the ones that make these hard to buy legitimately, but believe it—that’s a level that Days Of Grey can reach.

High praise indeed, and not a bit of it feels unjustified. Obviously the same grading of hyper-polish is yet to be seen, but the way that emotionality and earnestness is conveyed with such sincerity is. On a song like Detach, eked out to past five minutes as a closing haymaker, it’s done with the immense scale and nuance of a far more seasoned act, and in a way that evidently comes naturally to Red Vanilla. Regardless of whether this in itself is ploughing a new furrow—which, as all evidence would point to, it isn’t—the feel is what matters. Among today’s Britrock high-risers that still have ties to its 2010s halcyon days, Days Of Grey would slot in borderline perfectly. And when that puts forth the likes of The Xcerts and Holding Absence, that’s not something to scoff at, is it?

Hopefully the path can be set for Red Vanilla to really capitalise on this, because they deserve it without question. There are certain scenes and bubbles of alt-rock where this could be stratospheric, without much of a second thought. And when you think that further releases of enhanced songwriting nous and musical growth are to come, you’d be very silly indeed to not have at least some faith in Red Vanilla. Get them on some good tours and festivals, and watch ‘em go. • LN

For fans of: Wolf Alice, Biffy Clyro, Paramore

‘Days Of Grey’ by Red Vanilla is released on 7th June.

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Cobra The Impaler

Karma Collision

Cobra The Impaler’s Karma Collision requires a few listens to fully appreciate the multifaceted aspects of each track across the album. The striking fusion of instantly recognisable traditional metal tones are entwined in an array of more extreme influences, all of which are presented in this progressive highly produced package. Karma Collision is an explosion of ideas.

Diving into the album, Magnetic Hex’s greeting carries a tonal style harking to traditional and early thrash elements. The track’s guitar led introduction speeds through a rich assortment of riffs delivered with lashings of groove. It’s an intriguing start that provides few hints at this early stage as to which direction the song will take. Upon hitting the first verse, the vocals make a major impact. The decision to layer in so many takes gives the vocals a burst of power that complements the significant layering also going on with the guitars. Magnetic Hex is dark, yet catchy, with a chorus leaning into anthemic territories, and a pretty epic breakdown also awaiting to be discovered. It’s quite the striking opener.

Continuing down the track list, Cobra The Impaler maintain some of the key aspects established in here, namely the catchiness, power of the instrumental and vocal layers, while also injecting different moods and styles. Season Of The Savage delves into darker realms. High-speed rhythmic chugs, low tones, intense percussion and moodier tempos all align to form this haunting offering. Its catchy chorus hook is almost certain to become an earworm. The album’s title track dives headfirst into heavily distorted and overdriven guitars. Its fast pace is intersected with alluring sections which see everything slowed into a groove. The frequent switching between each section emphasises the character of the other, making for an intriguing overall effect. The Fountain’s darkly melodic, bass heavy chorus, suddenly descends into abrasive high-speed breakdown. It’s an intriguing juxtaposition between the hard rock style that runs through the majority of the track.

Fusing together so many hard rock and metal elements while maintaining a sound consistent and cohesive enough to not be uncomfortably jarring is quite an achievement. The unexpected shifts across the musical arrangements throughout Karma Collision introduce additional layers of interest; it certainly provides a progressive twist that won’t go unnoticed. • HR

For fans of: Predatory Void, Haken, Vola

‘Karma Collision’ by Cobra The Impaler is out now on Listenable Records.

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Words by Luke Nuttall (LN) and Holly Royle (HR)