To Nowhere
Violent Kicks and Dirty Sounds
Self-released
Before the very first note’s even been played alt rock heroes To Nowhere let us know exactly where we stand – by naming their EP something you wanna hear. ‘Soft Steps and Normal Noises’? Let’s not. ‘Violent Kicks and Dirty Sounds’? Much more like it. There’s a swagger about that. Opener ‘Tied’ leaves you in no doubt about what these boys can do, with its catchy clean melody stylishly erupting into a feral groove with crisp vocals shattered into growls. The first beats of ‘Alive’ have barely begun before vocals that sound like barbed wire bullets are being sprayed. ‘Think Deep’ strides along, powered by choppy guitars and clear vocals for a two minute tease, before bass and drums drop heavy and the vox turns delightfully demonic. ‘Bloom’s’ post apocalyptic metal feel adds yet another dimension to this EP, which is an addictive blend of class production and confident delivery that punch the point across track by track. One of the many joys of ‘Violent Kicks and Dirty Sounds’ is every song sounds like an EP in itself. So many different elements are slickly slotted into each. It’s a commanding record that demands your attention. It’s anything but ordinary. And c’mon. Where’s the fun in straightforward anyway?
Review by Jo Wright