Currently it seems we live in a world perpetuated by run of the mill emo bands, or four-chord punk bands that we have all heard a million times before. It comes as a breath of fresh air then, to hear Huddersfield’s Mr Shiraz doing something a little different in 2014. After undergoing a line up change with the recruitment of a new guitarist and a new drummer, a new lease of life has been injected into the band on their new EP, ‘God Hates Mr Shiraz’ – 4 tracks of Faith No More worship via a love of The Bronx and letlive..
Opener ‘Good Ol’ Jack Burton’ hits with a smack-in-the-face verse of riffs, wailed vocals and careening drumming, through to a melodic chorus that will get stuck in your head whether you want it to or not. This leads perfectly into ‘No Prophecy’ that shows the band’s love of a good, solid, beer-fuelled punk rock anthem.
That is not to say the EP is without fault however, as the band venture into a slower number on ‘I Like It’, which – rather than breaking up the cacophony – is too repetitive for its own good. A track like that would work on a full length, yet seems out of place on this essentially great EP. They do turn it back up to 11 for the last track though, and end with a rock’n’roll stomper that could get even a cynical punk rock fan head-banging.
Mr Shiraz wear their Faith No More influence proudly on their sleeve – which isn’t a bad thing, let’s be honest – and although not perfect, this is still a great EP of rock meets punk meets funk, that will prove a good stepping stone for them as their sound grows.
GLEN BUSHELL