Unsigned: SCREWFACE
Come With
Us
Coming wrapped in a plain black
cover with just the band name and cd title adorning the front, ‘Come With Us’ is
a big chunk of NY hardcore/funk/metal. The overall look of the cd is very
professional, giving the impression of a band that will go the extra mile to get
noticed.
First track ‘Crusher’ kicks off
with a fairground-esque sample before the guitar starts thrashing. It’s a
rocking affair with jerky stop-start guitars along the same lines as Prong.
Definitely a good start; very infectious, with one of those metal beats that
make it almost impossible not to nod along too. ‘Trip’, the second track, is a
slight let down in comparison. Don’t get me wrong, it still rocks - but it’s
slightly mellower and without any real….nads, and if you’re going to play
hardcore metal stuff nads is what you want. The guitar solo doesn’t do the song
any favours, sounding over-indulgent and thinning the sound out.
Now the third track, the title
track, I like. I like it a lot. Starts with one of those bass lines that are so
fast individual notes become impossible to pick out and then the off beat guitar
really adds a whole different edge to the sound. This is definitely more like
it. A new twist to the tired old metal formula. A ska groove interspersed with
an anthemic metal chorus. A sure-fire live winner. I was starting to get
concerned that the funk as promised in the biog would turn out to be the playing
of bass lines really, really quickly. But lo and behold, ‘Upside Down’ gets all
chilli peppery! Another nice bouncy live winner with guitar chops straight out
of Frusciante’s personal scrapbook. Definitely funky with tons of energy.
Sometimes you have to slow down to make the fast bits hit with a bit more impact
and the tactic works well on this.
The cd ends with more breakneck
speed bass playing and a song about the millennium. The song itself is not too
bad - a little predictable, maybe, but dating a track like that I can never see
working. It’s not like there haven’t been a million or so songs by virtually
everyone else voicing there concerns over what in effect is just another year,
albeit with more 0’s at the end then normal.
My opinion? If you are going to
do a metal based band you need to be original. The genre has a massive history
and almost all conceivable avenues have been explored, and unless you’re one of
those crotch-grabbing pretty boy MTV friendly nu-metal acts you might find it
hard to get noticed. Screwface attempts a certain amount of originality but all
too often tend to head toward safer ground. Ground we have all heard before. The
quality of the production and musicianship on ‘Come With Us’ is unquestionable
and there are some really good moments that serve only to prove quite what could
be achieved if they were a bit more adventurous with the song writing. Having
said all that I would put my granny’s favourite set of false teeth on Screwface
being a blinding live act, where the energy of the songs can properly be
appreciated. In a style of music where originality is king Screwface have all
the ability, power and know-how but not too much that makes them stand out from
the already fit to bursting metal box.
Huxley
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