Portsmouth based post-hardcore unit Provoker might be newly minted, but the musicians comprising the quintet are anything but, having cut their teeth in acts like House Fires, Attention Thieves and Munroe Effect. Their debut EP, ‘The Long Defeat’, features five solid tracks showcasing a wealth of influence, energy and talent.
‘Admission’ is pummelling from the off, a squall of frantic, mathy instrumentation and scalded, screeching vocals. It evens out a little, smoothed by a boisterous, driving line and clean vocals, before shifting and tumbling into an atonal, stabbing, post-hardcore break, coalescing and expanding outwards with a dramatic, far-reaching flair. The vocals drip with the vein-popping, rebellious intensity you’d expect, railing against expectations with the refrain “I won’t become what you wanted from us”, before the track drops out into feedback.
We hope you’ve caught a breath because ‘Solitary’ will knock it back out of you, bursting into a melodic drive that belies a big, muscular, hooky bass undertow. There’s some satisfying, if typical, ‘gang vocals’, and some Enter Shikari style soaring clean vocals. It’s high energy, relentless stuff, with guitar noodling, punishing snare fills and singalong worthy breaks that make this perfect party (or live-show) fodder. ‘Accountable’ forces you to move with irresistible, double-kick powered grooves and a sense of desperate urgency brought on by breathless vocals. The locked-in riffs and vocal interplay owe a debt to early Architects, which rings especially true when the track drops into spacious, melodic guitar and distant screams, before ripping into a focused, metallic drive of stuttering riffs and constantly shifting bass.
‘Adopt/Adapt’ punches in with tolling chords and skipping snare, before letting looping guitars breathe until we’re dragged into another relentless, direct drive. It showcases the five piece’s irresistibly crunchy yet clear guitar tone, and sees them cannily using negative space and layer separation before coming back together for a triumphant, sweeping closeout that drips with angst. ‘Empty’ flexes its muscular riffs, machine-gun double-kick bursts and burly bass work, bringing down perhaps some of the heaviest lines on the album in a maelstrom of chaotic intensity that’s perhaps a little marred by overly screamed vocals. Their energy spent, the track slowly melts into a fuzzy guitar meander, a welcome respite to the grating force.
For some, Provoker may indulge a little too much in a sound that was popularised, and perfected, a decade ago. For others, they’ll prove that post-hardcore is just as vital, just as raw as it ever has been. If you like relentlessly energetic, confrontational tunes, Provoker dole them out with noteworthy skill, injecting enough outside influence to keep things fresh and challenging. An impressive debut, ‘The Long Defeat’ is a tantalisingly short victory that will leave you waiting for the next instalment.
JAY HAMPSHIRE