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There is no avoiding the issue; Heroes of Switzerlands’ music tempts shoegaze adjectives ad infinitum. Ethereal, cascading, shimmering, tectonic plates of aural magnificence shifting and colliding to form sonic cathedrals of sufficient awe-inspiring architectural merit to win this years Stirling Prize, & all that. And it is all of that, which is no bad thing. There are moments when the music unashamedly doffs an oversized cap to the sources of its inspiration with My Bloody Valentine and, in particular, Ride being the chief recipients. But one listen to this, their debut album, and it’s easy to see beyond the warped Shieldsian guitars of ‘Wonderland’ and the ‘Leave them all behind’ bluster of old favourite ‘Waiting’ to a world where classic rock is King. The latter track is a couple of years old now and, whilst still sounding good, it’s obvious that the band have developed apace since.
Recent single ‘Wish it away’ is a prime example of the progress made, tempering the trademark terrace chant chorus with an intricate verse built on a flickering rhythm and descending chord progression, trading defiance and melancholy to great effect. Better still is ‘Reassurance’, which marks a departure of sorts with a shift toward oppressive post punk in the style of Joy Division and Theatre of Hate with a brooding lead vocal stripped of its usual harmonic texture, the tension then diffused by another towering chorus. Weighty tracks such as ‘Compliancy’ and ‘Why’ (and the odd guitar solo) provide further proof that the band have successfully bridged the gap between traditional rock music and its dreamier offshoot. But, for all their advances, it is one of the old guard - ‘Disposable Fiction’, another survivor of the debut single - that provides a blistering high point with a frantic blast of Swervedriver proportions interspersed with muffled commentary and a subtle breakdown.
The sampled monologue for penultimate track ‘Panic Attack’ grandly declares ‘in about a minute you will see one of the loudest explosions ever to be witnessed by human eyes’ to an audience awaiting the detonation of a hydrogen bomb. As bombastic as it may sound, ‘Comfort in Fear’ frequently provides a fitting soundtrack to such a climactic event by way of a constant barrage of harmony, melody and noise. This band excel at creating anthems that energise and inspire; hard rock with real purpose and without schoolboy posturing and pointless swagger. Heroes, one and all.
RICHARD STOKOE
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