Based on the personnel involved in ‘A Head Full of Moonlight’, Good Tiger qualify for the title of supergroup. The band consists of members from acts such as Tesseract, Sky Eats Airplane, The Safety Fire, Architects and The Faceless, and features Periphery’s Nolly Getgood on production duties. With these metal heavyweights involved you’d expect a celebration of djent-style riffs, intricate guitar patterns and heavy breakdowns, but instead Good Tiger gives them an opportunity to branch out a little.
This is still a pretty heavy record with a combination of clean and screamed vocals and some chunky guitar work, but in the place of drop-tuned riffs and chugging rhythms are up-tempo chords and dynamic drum patterns, making it more post hardcore than metal. The post hardcore vibe is felt even stronger in the vocals; Elliot Coleman’s melodies range from low tones to high falsetto, using a barrage of vocal gymnastics to make the transitions. Combined with the complex instrumentals, it creates an interesting blend of The Mars Volta and Periphery which, despite how odd that looks on paper, can be highly effective. ‘Snake Oil’ is a prime example of how Coleman’s diverse vocal arrangement can deliver catchy choruses that mixes well with the jagged rhythm patterns.
There are moments on the album where the vocals don’t work so well. Coleman’s tone can become grating when there’s no substantial hook to balance out his unconventional tone and tracks like ‘Enjoy the Rain’ and All Her Own Teeth’ fall into this trap. Overall though the vocals give Good Tiger an intriguing signature sound and while Coleman’s tone will no doubt be divisive, particularly to fans of the technical metal scene, the sense of experimentation is refreshing.
‘A Head Full of Moonlight’ has a sense of discovery to it, as though the band are trying something new and seeing how it fits. For the most part it works well and gives the post hardcore genre a fresh flavour. With more refinement, Good Tiger could be onto something big, making them an intriguing act and one to keep a close eye on in the future.
MARK JOHNSON