By Monk
The past 11 months, during which the rebranded beer bug has virtually become a synonym for negativity, have presented enormous challenges, not least for the music industry. It is a period that has been epitomized by how people have risen to those challenges: many have buckled under the strain, others have found themselves energized and, in turn, taken on new challenges. An example of the latter attitude are Old Selves: despite their name, a bunch of relative youngsters from the greater York area, this quartet of rising riffmeisters used 2020 as an opportunity to remodel themselves, from a garage band hammering out cover songs with cheap beat up guitars, honing in on their musical values to forge a sound, and an identity of their own, resulting in this, their debut six-track EP, released at the start of this year – one which, to date, promised much but so far has failed to deliver… although, it has to be stressed, not on the musical front, given the amount of quality releases which so far have fought their way onto the playlists here at ÜRHQ…
It has to be said that OS draw immediate sonic comparisons with fellow Yorkshire metal crües While She Sleeps, Evile and Paradise Lost, in terms of their combination of the aggression-meets-melody of the first, the acute thrash sensibility of the second and the use of atmospherics associated with the last named. They have obviously spent their time studying in the classrooms of their illustrious predecessors – as well as more internationally-recognized groove and progressive metal acts such as Trivium – and carefully applied the lessons learned to crafting their own identifiable sound.
In many ways, Old Selves live up to their moniker, as they display a definite, and defiant, maturity which decries their relative youthfulness. ‘Two Minds’ is the sound of a young band who have hit the ground running, determined and impassioned in equal measure, with the bit very firmly between their collective and individual teeth.
I have been around this hoary old rock ‘n’ roll for more than long enough to remember an oft-bandied term from a decade or so ago called “emo”, short for “emotional hardcore”: it was a much-abused term, often applied to unadventurous pop punk acts seeking a niche on which to hang their reversed baseball caps. In relation to ‘Two Minds’, both words of that term most definitely apply, although not in their originally-intended sensibility, as it is the sound of a band who have invested every ounce of their emotions into crafting the best opus they could possibly produce (and they have done just that), while at the same time adhering to the hardcore DIY ethos which the ongoing lockdowns have forced many artists to adopt in these trying times, for which this EP provides a fitting, and middle finger-raising, soundtrack.
- ‘Two Minds’ is out now. You can get your copy HERE.
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