A new post hardcore band bursting onto the scene is like hearing through the grapevine that there’s going to be a new Fast & Furious film. You can almost guarantee you’ll see scantily clad chicks and meatheads cruising in souped up racers. Looking to grab the attention and change perceptions are West Sussex quintet, A Room Swept White, with their EP, No Love Lost.
Sounding as if there’s no love lost between the 5-piece and your ears, ‘This Life,’ is the spark that ignites the engines. Like a learner driver getting to grips with the clutch the jolting riffs soon make way for a smoother ride, albeit one that’s fuelled with a nitrous oxide system, leaving you with severe whiplash. The impact of the chorus alone would make you human roadkill, taking in all what makes While She Sleeps so darn catchy.
After this brief wonder, it’s already time for the scrapheap. The 5-piece may aim a barrage of heaviness the size of Vin Diesel and Dwayne Johnson combined, but it all seems a little forced and Tokyo Drift pointless. Adding the predictable clean vocals and melody may work for the likes of Bury Tomorrow, but it just feels lost on the title track.
The real star is Ryan Elliott, who sounds like he is one bark away from losing his voice entirely, his gruff delivery works well, piling on the animosity, matching the psychotic breakdowns and chunky riffs perfectly. If the band worked on their clean sections as hard as their heavy then they could see their Peugeot 106 upgraded in no time to Volkswagen Golf, but as it goes you’re left with closer ‘Better Days,’ which you hope they will have.
Not quite a car crash, No Love Lost is saved by the bands aggression and passion. However, with weak singing and a lack of identity, you can only hope for a better sequel.
