Labels: Level Plane
Review by: Andy Malcolm
I had the great pleasure of seeing Shikari in Munster (Germany) last year. Little did I know what to expect. I had their first 10″ but it never really grabbed me. So I was just sort of standing around near the front, arms folded, waiting for these Dutch dudes to start playing. And then they started playing, and it was fucking amazing. If you live in Europe and want to whine about missing Orchid or some hipster screamo band, then go see Shikari. There is no way that Orchid could be that much more incredible live than Shikari. Anyways. About a month before that I was in Holland and I got to hear a sneak preview of what would become this Level Plane 7″ on a tape. And my jaw dropped then too. The 4 tracks on this 7″ are such a progression from their early material that it’s stunning to think it’s the same band. 4 songs of thundering, intense hardcore. The recording is muddy but the power just bulldogs it’s way to the front anyway. The music brings giant walls of chaotic sound out of the speakers, with the bass just causing a permanent rumble. The vocals are shrieked and sound awesome. If you like Uranus or One Eyed God Prophecy, well shit, get this already. I don’t listen to much as noisy or as heavy as this, but I am well and truly devestated by this stuff. TOP MARKS. PS – this has been one of the hardest records to get hold of. Ever.