Survival: Shayda

When is hardcore punk not hardcore punk? Well, when it's Survival. Not that it's such a bad thing, this group of young lads finding themselves in a band that sound old, but in a good way.

To be fair hardcore punk is what Survival do, yet so is metal, thrash and whatever else comes to hand when the mood takes them. To add to the confusion, spoken word sections offer the illusion of a running concept, yet the songs don't appear linked. Initially you are given the feel of weighty subjects delivered with a Killing Joke gone grunge amalgam. However as this short album buzzes past, everything from Faith No More to Biohazard via early Suicidal Tendencies or even Rage Against The Machine (without the pretension) lurches through the gears.

"Surface Of The Sky" proves what this band can do at full pelt, ripping guitars and almost ponderous space rock vocals juxtaposing off each other in stupendous style. "Pose" too brings attitude to the fore, jostling your senses and fighting for your attention; clever time changes adding some clout to the push and shove in evidence. Strangely however for an album that does vary it's attack on an extremely regular basis, things can become a little samey, although the sheer energy and vitriol that most of Shayda is chock full of makes up for those slight deficiencies.

An act offering up a fresh take in a traditional style may sound like a contradiction, but this is what Survival are, it's what they do and it's what they're good at. Shayda isn't quite the real deal, it maybe has too many rough edges for its own good and possibly struggles for its own clear identity. However it certainly demands your attention, undoubtedly has a lot to say and sure as hell knows how to have you fully engaged throughout. There's a lot to work on for Survival to suggest they'll be anything other than a niche outfit playing niche music and yet there's so much promise here that I wouldn't be shocked if it's a name we hear a lot more from in years to come. A contradiction? That's Survival!

Track Listing
1. Living With Depression
2. Walls
3. Surface of the Sky
4. Pose
5. Under the Knife
6. Set Me Free
7. Buried in Time
8. No Hope

Added: December 24th 2015
Reviewer: Steven Reid
Score:
Related Link: Survivial at BandCamp
Hits: 1538
Language: english

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