Shapes - The Pasture, The Oil
It’s rare that a band throws a fat middle finger to the conventions of an already unconventional genre, but Birmingham trio Shapes have miraculously managed this on their 6-track mini album ‘The Pasture, The Oil’. Drawing influence from (while never sounding like a pastiche of) bands such as These Arms Are Snakes, Don Caballero and The Dillinger Escape Plan, Steve (guitar), Rich (bass) and Gav (drums) shine like a gem in the stagnant pool of UK post-hardcore.
Clocking in at less than 2 minutes long, opening track ‘Trampled By A Horse’ is an aural kick in the balls with its twisted riffs and punishing drums sending a clear message - strap in or fuck off. ‘The Escapologist’ opens with something approaching melody before descending into all-out madness, and before you’ve had the chance to catch your breath ‘Our Children’s Children’ slaps you around the kitchen like Stanley Kowalski.
‘The Moon Is Bright But Coned Off’ offers brief respite with its spacey soundscapes while never letting you get comfortable before ‘Such Stoics’ resumes the onslaught. Closing track ‘You Butcher’ highlights the jerky time signatures that make this genre so exciting while never descending into the all-out fret-wankery that is so prevalent among their peers. If you enjoy interesting post-hardcore there is no excuse not to check ‘The Pasture, The Oil’ out, it is simply fucking brilliant.
Marko
