It’s certainly a debut EP to be proud of. Considering North Wales’ Shot of Hornets have been playing together for less than a year, their first release as a band, ‘Make Out A Picture’, is impressive and a solid slice of huge, noisy alternative rock.
With such erratic guitars and riffs to die for, ‘Corrosive’ is bound for Biffy Clyro comparisons. For a relatively unheard of band they’ve utterly nailed the alternative sound, switching between moments of heavy rock and monster, arena filling choruses as though they’ve had years of practice.
From its racing drum intro and heavy bassline, the track twists and turns through a web of unexpected elements with new sounds around every corner. If by the end of the song you aren’t singing along to “this is our last goodbye,” you must be missing something.
The vocals of ‘Don’t Go Chasing Shadows, Arthur’ switch between growling, screeching, and melodic singing. Rock heavy, solid fist-pumping sections contrast with moments of energetic madness and the ferocious rhythms make you wonder how lead singer Conor Calahane controls his powerful vocals while thrashing on the drums.
‘Firm Handshake (Interlude)’ steps down from the heavier, frantic flashes and transports you to a cinematic landscape. With twinkling, soaring guitars and an uplifting crescendo, it’s ninety-five seconds of escapism and a real shame it’s not a lot longer.
Although packed full of diverse tempos – and a noisy drum section to boot – ‘Everything With Nothing’ sounds at times like a far more classic rock sound, made for a wide, appreciative audience. Think Hundred Reasons’ ‘Silver’. Don’t be fooled, however: the romantic, tuneful vocals juxtapose the unstoppable, noisy instrumentation.
Wales has seen the growth of numerous bands in recent years, with few of them pushing through to the UK mainstream. Why that is we’ve no idea, but let’s hope Shot Of Hornets don’t slip through the net. There’s something special here. For fans of old British alternative rock, make sure you don’t miss out on fifteen minutes of mayhem.
KATHRYN BLACK