reviews
Dwarf The Earth E.P.
Smash Mouth Metal - 2016
I have to say, I’ve been really looking forward to this release! A few months back Jack sent me an instrumental demo of Silence Untill Morning which he had whipped together and I loved it, I even had it as my ringtone for a while, it’s so nice to hear the finished product! The first track on the EP is the aforementioned and as an opener, it’s long! not boring long but long. At 7.20 it has given the guys a way to fuck about and throw down tempo changes, work build ups and smash drops and it works very well. You know when you listen to a song and there’s this massive build up, it goes on and on and then just ends? This is the song that sticks up the middle finger and screams fuck you at those songs! Title track Dwarf the Earth is a nice tight track, showing off a bit more of Dave’s vocal talent as he lets melody dominate and the shift between his screams and cleans is superb, I have an inkling that guitarist Jamie may have some vocal input also, but alas, I don’t get out like I used to and haven’t had the chance to see them much!! The third and final song is Kick Finger!!!!!! Fuck what a song indeed! Balls to the wall heavy, heart pounding, skull crushingly awesome! I’ve had this on repeat for about 12 hours now and I’m not even close to being tired! This has to be my favourite song of the year so far!A fantastic little effort, the departure of drummer Johnj was a blow to band and fans alike, the addition of Jaime on guitar was a great move and Jack returning to the sticks was pure genius. Jack’s ferocity on the drums drives the band forward like a runaway train! I’ve loved these guys from when I first heard them and I highly recommend you buy this EP then, go buy their album Democracy and the Illusion of Choice. Catch them at a show, go say hi, just….don’t interview Dave and Jamie together…unless you go equipped with soft squeaky toys! KIDS! J
I have to say, I’ve been really looking forward to this release! A few months back Jack sent me an instrumental demo of Silence Untill Morning which he had whipped together and I loved it, I even had it as my ringtone for a while, it’s so nice to hear the finished product! The first track on the EP is the aforementioned and as an opener, it’s long! not boring long but long. At 7.20 it has given the guys a way to fuck about and throw down tempo changes, work build ups and smash drops and it works very well. You know when you listen to a song and there’s this massive build up, it goes on and on and then just ends? This is the song that sticks up the middle finger and screams fuck you at those songs! Title track Dwarf the Earth is a nice tight track, showing off a bit more of Dave’s vocal talent as he lets melody dominate and the shift between his screams and cleans is superb, I have an inkling that guitarist Jamie may have some vocal input also, but alas, I don’t get out like I used to and haven’t had the chance to see them much!! The third and final song is Kick Finger!!!!!! Fuck what a song indeed! Balls to the wall heavy, heart pounding, skull crushingly awesome! I’ve had this on repeat for about 12 hours now and I’m not even close to being tired! This has to be my favourite song of the year so far!A fantastic little effort, the departure of drummer Johnj was a blow to band and fans alike, the addition of Jaime on guitar was a great move and Jack returning to the sticks was pure genius. Jack’s ferocity on the drums drives the band forward like a runaway train! I’ve loved these guys from when I first heard them and I highly recommend you buy this EP then, go buy their album Democracy and the Illusion of Choice. Catch them at a show, go say hi, just….don’t interview Dave and Jamie together…unless you go equipped with soft squeaky toys! KIDS! J
Review by Midlands Metalheadz
“Our World Below? clearly have their own identity and are swiftly carving their own sound in the world of Metal with their melodic sensibilities and aggressive delivery. The band promise that this is a precursor to another full length release in 2017 but this is more than enough to whet your appetite in the meantime.”
Shropshire based Our World Below? have released the follow up to Democracy… And The Illusion Of Choice with the self- produced e.p Dwarf The Earth – featuring three tracks of their alternative tinged hard hitting metal. Formed in 2013 the band have been creating a formidable reputation tearing up venues across the Midlands and playing with UK heavyweights such as Sylosis along the way.
Opener Silence The Morning shows frontman Dave Riley’s ability to go from clean passages to shrieks effortlessly, which sits perfectly over the complex rhythmic changes, punishing grooves and stellar guitar work. At over Seven minutes in length this opener is brimming with riffs, hooks, melody and aggression and the constant twists and turns keeps the listener pinned back in the chair (or whipping up a frenzy along to the music) throughout. The title track opens with a Pantera like groove but soon takes grip of its own identity, the rhythm section is super tight adding to the aggression of the delivery. There is some great contrasting guitar work here between the two guitarists Jamie Edwards-Taylor and Neil Preece and as the song develops there are some great melodies from both the layered vocals and guitars, whilst never treading on each other’s toes. Closing track Kick finger is a personal favourite of mine and takes no prisoners with it’s opening riffage and old school. The chorus for me is the perfect mix of punishing aggression and melodic sensibilities and the song has a real live feel, brimming with energy. There is also some tasty lead guitar work and it’s refreshing to hear some melodic phrasing – as opposed to yet another band playing their millionth sweep picked arpeggio.
Self -producing music can often go either way but for a band such as Our World Below? who clearly have their own identity and are swiftly carving their own sound this e.p has paid off considerably. The band promise that this is a precursor to another full length release in 2017 but this is more than enough to whet your appetite in the meantime.
Check these guys out at:
SATURDAY 27TH AUGUST – 02 ACADEMY 3 – BIRMINGHAM (HEADLINE SHOW)
SATURDAY 16TH JULY – THE ARCHES COVENTRY – S.O.P.H.I.E. FEST
Rating 4/5
http://www.midlandsmetalheads.com/review-of-dwarf-the-earth-e-p-by-our-world-below/
Reviewed by Ian Guest
“Our World Below? clearly have their own identity and are swiftly carving their own sound in the world of Metal with their melodic sensibilities and aggressive delivery. The band promise that this is a precursor to another full length release in 2017 but this is more than enough to whet your appetite in the meantime.”
Shropshire based Our World Below? have released the follow up to Democracy… And The Illusion Of Choice with the self- produced e.p Dwarf The Earth – featuring three tracks of their alternative tinged hard hitting metal. Formed in 2013 the band have been creating a formidable reputation tearing up venues across the Midlands and playing with UK heavyweights such as Sylosis along the way.
Opener Silence The Morning shows frontman Dave Riley’s ability to go from clean passages to shrieks effortlessly, which sits perfectly over the complex rhythmic changes, punishing grooves and stellar guitar work. At over Seven minutes in length this opener is brimming with riffs, hooks, melody and aggression and the constant twists and turns keeps the listener pinned back in the chair (or whipping up a frenzy along to the music) throughout. The title track opens with a Pantera like groove but soon takes grip of its own identity, the rhythm section is super tight adding to the aggression of the delivery. There is some great contrasting guitar work here between the two guitarists Jamie Edwards-Taylor and Neil Preece and as the song develops there are some great melodies from both the layered vocals and guitars, whilst never treading on each other’s toes. Closing track Kick finger is a personal favourite of mine and takes no prisoners with it’s opening riffage and old school. The chorus for me is the perfect mix of punishing aggression and melodic sensibilities and the song has a real live feel, brimming with energy. There is also some tasty lead guitar work and it’s refreshing to hear some melodic phrasing – as opposed to yet another band playing their millionth sweep picked arpeggio.
Self -producing music can often go either way but for a band such as Our World Below? who clearly have their own identity and are swiftly carving their own sound this e.p has paid off considerably. The band promise that this is a precursor to another full length release in 2017 but this is more than enough to whet your appetite in the meantime.
Check these guys out at:
SATURDAY 27TH AUGUST – 02 ACADEMY 3 – BIRMINGHAM (HEADLINE SHOW)
SATURDAY 16TH JULY – THE ARCHES COVENTRY – S.O.P.H.I.E. FEST
Rating 4/5
http://www.midlandsmetalheads.com/review-of-dwarf-the-earth-e-p-by-our-world-below/
Reviewed by Ian Guest
Shred Shack - 2016 - Our World Below? “Dwarf The Earth” Review
I would like to preface this review by saying that one of my favorite things about what we at The Shred Shack do is the Social Media Highlight. It was a concept that came about because bands were reaching out to us via our communal Facebook page or following us individually on the other social outlets like Instagram and Twitter, requesting that we check out their music and give our two cents. Through this, I have had the opportunity to check out some really great talent from all over the world and share them with our listeners via the segment on our podcast as well as on the live radio show.
The United Kingdom’s Our World Below? are one of those bands that reached out to us on the Facebook page asking if we would be interested in reviewing their upcoming EP. I took one listen to what they had available at the time on their Bandcamp page, and decided to take on the task of giving them what they asked for, and in early May, I was treated to their new EP entitled “Dwarf The Earth”.
The five-piece alternative metal band formed in 2013 from the ashes of metal band Adrenaline, who gained moderate success with their 2006 single “Inch of Skin”, subsequent UK tours and performance at the 2007 Download Festival. They cite various metal and hardcore acts as their influences including Deftones, Vision of Disorder, Killswitch Engage and Pantera. Their debut full length record, “Democracy… and the Illusion of Choice” was funded, recorded, produced and released independently in July of 2014 and resulted in the band spending much of the following years performing consistently in the Midlands, UK metal scene, including opening for death metal legends Cancer and US thrash metal veterans Death Angel.
“Dwarf The Earth” picks up where the debut album left off in terms of sonic quality and song writing. There are elements of all of the above mentioned influences blended together to produce a band that would fit in the current run of American festivals featuring many of them. The songs are well constructed, catchy and full of groove.
Opening track “Silence Until Morning” sets the tone for the whole record with over seven minutes of dynamic changes and constant riffage from guitarists Neil Preece and Jamie Edwards-Taylor. Vocalist Dave Riley switches between a throat ripping growl and memorable clean vocals similar to Tim Williams of Vision of Disorder, while the band chugs away with the same ferocity and complexity as Deftones. There are enough changes in the song that it easily could have been split into a few others, but is far better served as a complete metallic onslaught.
The title track “Dwarf The Earth” starts off heavier than its predecessor and pummels you throughout the verse up until the chorus. Here is where we get a taste of drummer Jack Skilton’s use of the double kick, which adds to the intensity of the chorus’ groove in the same vein as Pantera’s Vinnie Paul in “Regular People (Conceit)”. The guitar sound is chunkier and played a little closer to the chest than in the opener up until 3:22 when the sound is opened up with huge strummed chords overlaid with some mild noodling melodic lines that is sure to translate well in a live setting and is the highlight of this recording.
Closing track “Kick Finger” is a high energy kick in the gut. The main riff is reminiscent of “Alive or Just Breathing” era Killswitch Engage with its incredible thickness and powerful, head bobbing groove. If I was to pick the surprise of the album, it would be the total 180 that occurs starting around the 2:15 mark where everything slows down leading into the first true guitar solo of the EP. You can tell a lot of feeling went into the recording of this particular section and that the band is also having a hell of a time recording it.
The one aspect of the recording I have a gripe with is the production. Sometimes it feels as though the guitars and bass are a bit muddy and could use a little something more to separate the tones to give each player his own space in the song. There are also some times when the bass was inaudible and others when it was a little too loud, again muddying the sound. On the opposite side of that spectrum, I felt the vocals were done very well for the style of music these guys play, with care taken to make sure the over laid screams did not drown out the melody or any of the other musicians. These issues play into the do it yourself style it was recorded in and are truly nothing to distract from good song writing.
The EP is only three songs long and totals about 18 minutes of run time, but overall I fell that it shows a young, hungry band with a lot of potential to record some excellent music in the very near future. According to their press kit they sent me, “Dwarf The Earth” is only a precursor to another full length record that should be released in 2017. Be on the lookout for that and in the meantime, give "Dwarf The Earth" a spin at www.ourworldbelow.bandcamp.com, you will not be disappointed.
I would like to preface this review by saying that one of my favorite things about what we at The Shred Shack do is the Social Media Highlight. It was a concept that came about because bands were reaching out to us via our communal Facebook page or following us individually on the other social outlets like Instagram and Twitter, requesting that we check out their music and give our two cents. Through this, I have had the opportunity to check out some really great talent from all over the world and share them with our listeners via the segment on our podcast as well as on the live radio show.
The United Kingdom’s Our World Below? are one of those bands that reached out to us on the Facebook page asking if we would be interested in reviewing their upcoming EP. I took one listen to what they had available at the time on their Bandcamp page, and decided to take on the task of giving them what they asked for, and in early May, I was treated to their new EP entitled “Dwarf The Earth”.
The five-piece alternative metal band formed in 2013 from the ashes of metal band Adrenaline, who gained moderate success with their 2006 single “Inch of Skin”, subsequent UK tours and performance at the 2007 Download Festival. They cite various metal and hardcore acts as their influences including Deftones, Vision of Disorder, Killswitch Engage and Pantera. Their debut full length record, “Democracy… and the Illusion of Choice” was funded, recorded, produced and released independently in July of 2014 and resulted in the band spending much of the following years performing consistently in the Midlands, UK metal scene, including opening for death metal legends Cancer and US thrash metal veterans Death Angel.
“Dwarf The Earth” picks up where the debut album left off in terms of sonic quality and song writing. There are elements of all of the above mentioned influences blended together to produce a band that would fit in the current run of American festivals featuring many of them. The songs are well constructed, catchy and full of groove.
Opening track “Silence Until Morning” sets the tone for the whole record with over seven minutes of dynamic changes and constant riffage from guitarists Neil Preece and Jamie Edwards-Taylor. Vocalist Dave Riley switches between a throat ripping growl and memorable clean vocals similar to Tim Williams of Vision of Disorder, while the band chugs away with the same ferocity and complexity as Deftones. There are enough changes in the song that it easily could have been split into a few others, but is far better served as a complete metallic onslaught.
The title track “Dwarf The Earth” starts off heavier than its predecessor and pummels you throughout the verse up until the chorus. Here is where we get a taste of drummer Jack Skilton’s use of the double kick, which adds to the intensity of the chorus’ groove in the same vein as Pantera’s Vinnie Paul in “Regular People (Conceit)”. The guitar sound is chunkier and played a little closer to the chest than in the opener up until 3:22 when the sound is opened up with huge strummed chords overlaid with some mild noodling melodic lines that is sure to translate well in a live setting and is the highlight of this recording.
Closing track “Kick Finger” is a high energy kick in the gut. The main riff is reminiscent of “Alive or Just Breathing” era Killswitch Engage with its incredible thickness and powerful, head bobbing groove. If I was to pick the surprise of the album, it would be the total 180 that occurs starting around the 2:15 mark where everything slows down leading into the first true guitar solo of the EP. You can tell a lot of feeling went into the recording of this particular section and that the band is also having a hell of a time recording it.
The one aspect of the recording I have a gripe with is the production. Sometimes it feels as though the guitars and bass are a bit muddy and could use a little something more to separate the tones to give each player his own space in the song. There are also some times when the bass was inaudible and others when it was a little too loud, again muddying the sound. On the opposite side of that spectrum, I felt the vocals were done very well for the style of music these guys play, with care taken to make sure the over laid screams did not drown out the melody or any of the other musicians. These issues play into the do it yourself style it was recorded in and are truly nothing to distract from good song writing.
The EP is only three songs long and totals about 18 minutes of run time, but overall I fell that it shows a young, hungry band with a lot of potential to record some excellent music in the very near future. According to their press kit they sent me, “Dwarf The Earth” is only a precursor to another full length record that should be released in 2017. Be on the lookout for that and in the meantime, give "Dwarf The Earth" a spin at www.ourworldbelow.bandcamp.com, you will not be disappointed.
Album reviewsDemocracy and the Illusion of Choice
Our World Below 2nd April 2015 Local lads Our World Below are fast disbanding the hardened, menacing face of metal with all of their hard working in deserving places such as playing S.O.P.H.I.E Fest 4, raising awareness for various disabilities and evening paying small children a visit and introducing them to music within the confines of their school. Not many achievements can top this, well, unless you count the release of steely and doom-mongering Democracy and theIllusion of Choice. Opening track “Face Machine” begins the release in a delirious fashion with ominous chords fighting against the prominence of a Political speech before plunging into a deep and dark abyss with raw and ear-splitting vocals, both glorious with growls but almost painful in harmonious parts that are not quite perfected, thrashing drum beats and the wailing guitars that whip up a storm in a mammoth six minutes. “One” follows a similar formula with a spine-tinglingly slow introduction before reaching a gradual crescendo, though it is a welcome break from ten minutes of this within “The Orchid Is Dead” and “No. Five” which cut straight into the fray of things, also sporting very prominent bass lines and soaring guitar solos that feel like punk raw ideals battling the showmanship and technicality of metal, yet both coming out on top with two impressive and gritty tracks. “Portrait Smile” breaks this brutal album apart with almost melodic and haunting vocals, keeping the ears peeled and the mind thoroughly engrossed as this release does begin to blend into one at times and tracks begin to sound very similar, though this shocks you right out of your comfort zone, right before the dark and demonic tones of “Amongst The Dead” with screeching guttural shouts that sound like, what I imagine, the doorbell ringing on the way to hell rings like providing one last punch in the throat accompanied by nifty solos and chords to remind you why Our World Below are fast rising in the metal scene.That’s not it however, we do have the strange little outro “Poor Trait Smile“, an electro outro, which is possibly the furthest of what I expected from the track standing at just under a minute long and filled with alien robotic noises and speech blurted out. The Midlands have done it once more and shown that the home of metal will always be where the best releases come from. Though some parts are in need of improvement, namely with some songs becoming slightly repetitive, Our World Below have found a formula and style that works for them and are striving to get as good as they possibly can be, with this release showing that they are well on their way in the right direction. I look forward to hearing even more from these guys in the future. 7/10 - (Toxic online) 2015
Ok, so this is one of the best albums I have heard in a long time, I have a rather extensive music collection and whereas I love a lot of the music I have, nothing really seems to be truly original these days and that's not to say there is no originality out there because there certainly is and it certainly isn't a knock to any particular band or whatever, it's just my opinion and without seeming to get ahead of myself, on this site my opinion counts for something! I fell in love with Our World Below? from the first time I saw them and the following day I went online and bought this album. We kick off with the brutally satisfying 'Face Machine', the short guitar intro coupled with a voice clip (of what I'm not sure) gets me going each time I play it and the song breaks wide open with the instrumentals backing up the rough gritty growl, fast paced yet melodic its a great opening track. Next into my outright favourite song on the album 'One' has a kinda luring intro to it which goes on for about 40 seconds, and as the song kicks up a notch it becomes increasingly hard not to smash about flailing my limbs like a mad man, I kid you not!! The vocals on this track are so aggressive and melodic all at the same time and just screaming out that chorus along with the song makes people look at me like I'm a loon but I really can't help it. Moving through the album we meet 'Silent Chair Dance' that gritty guitar work and the deep bass line hammering right through is fuckin magical. A little slower than some of the other songs but I think it gives it a heavier feel and then there's the gnarly guitar solo smack bang in the middle which turns the song into Armageddon! Another of my favourites is the last but one song Amongst the Dead, this song is 4:49 of pure brutality, heavy riffs, thunderous drums and a pretty twisted chorus make it a great song to end the album on...then of course there is 'Poor Trait Smile' and for any understanding or comprehension what the fuck it's all about you'll have to ask Dave the vocalist!!! Just...buy this album, there is only so much I can write about it, go check it out for yourself!! - (Smash Mouth Metal) |
live reviewsTonights featured band is Our World Below? Shortly to share the stage with legendary metallers Death Angel, OWBs recent album Democracy And The Illusion Of Choice is a bang-on slab of twenty-first century metal that shows why they have established themselves as one of the hottest properties on the Midlands circuit.
This evenings headliners have consistently scored a direct hit in the popularity stakes of up and coming, must see metal contenders, with this particular band being none other than Our World Below? Tonight saw the band back in the saddle and looking very happy indeed to be back up on stage again.
With an hour long of inspiring metal served up for their audiences entertainment, their set list comprised of a full bounty of Our World Below’s finest which earned the band the full appreciation of their audience and quite rightly so! Our World Below? still have a few dates in their diary lined up for the remaining months of this year so make a point of checking out their Facebook page or website for details of exactly where and when you can see them! Review and Photography by Sue Wardle. 4/8/15 - Supporting Death Angel.
Third up on the stage was Our World Below? from Birmingham. Opening to a thunderous cheer from the crowd, the band immediately wasted no-time in showing everyone what they were about. Having a sound vaguely reminiscent of Soilwork, the band delivered a cracking set to the now packed venue and certainly won themselves some new fans. It’s safe to say I’ll definitely be checking these guys out .- (The moshville times) 4/8/15 - Supporting Death Angel.
Even if Our World Below? Weren’t rather good we’d like them. Firstly because we like anyone who clearly enjoys playing live. But more pertinently there’s this. What amounts to their mission statement: “heavy music, but open minded, unrestricted by genre boundaries or pre-conceptions.” It could be this website’s bio too. It isn’t, but that wonderful sentiment comes over throughout their set. All the metal balls you can imagine go up in the air and what comes down sounds just dandy. “No. Five” screeches along in some fast lane or other, while the closing “Face Machine” adds a size 12 bootprint of a groove to things. Aggressive yet accessible. Just the way modern metal should be. Our World Below? would probably agree. - (Maximum Volume Music) 12/7/14 - Album launch show
Those of you who are familiar with the Midlands metal scene – whether you are happily ensconced within it’s bosom or an admirer from afar – will be aware that we don’t require much of an excuse to indulge in a massive piss-up. Tonight we have two reasons to get wankered, as not only is it the official launch of Democracy… And the Illusion Of Choice… by Our World Below? but it’s also the official birthday celebration for Hils, who is responsible for tonight’s gig and many other unsigned showcases throughout the region. Time to get twice as drunk then… Our World Below? are going all out to prove that they are worthy of the bigger headline shows tonight. They let the anticipation build with an atmospheric intro before each member enters the stage and finally breaking out the metal. They are fucking outstanding. They clearly mean business but – knowing that pretty much everyone in the Slade Rooms is here to celebrate with them rather than pass judgement on them – are relaxed enough to enjoy themselves, savour the moment and partake in a bit of banter with the audience. Tracks like Number 5 and All Apart From Me sound startlingly brutal in a live setting even in this particularly jovial setting. It goes without saying that I’m very keen to hear if this vibe translates as well on the album. To be honest, there’s little doubt in my mind. Democracy… And The Illusion Of Choice… is available now. Go buy it!n - (Nicola Edwards - Midlands metalheads) 4/4/14 - Headline show @ Rock Zombie Dudley.
Our World Below? are the main event of the evening, and it’s possible that they may feel a little like they’ve been chucked in at the deep end after agreeing to fill the headline slot at short notice. If this is the case, however, their performance doesn’t betray their feelings as they put on a blistering set, and they certainly prove that they are headliner material. I love how they refuse to be restricted by metal pigeon-holes, and they can pull off moments of perfect melody without sacrificing the heaviness. Anyone who wants to see what they’re missing can catch them supporting Sylosis at the Midlands Metal Crusade II at The Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton on May 3rd. You won’t regret it! - (Midlands metalheads) |
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12/10/13-
Midlands Metal Crusade I - Supporting Breed 77. Our World Below? are next up. Lead vocalist Dave Riley paces back and forth in anticipation as the drums count in the heavy sound of the guitars and the performance begins. His combination of growling and melodic vocals mixed with stomping riffs could make some think that this band may be the love child of ‘Killswitch Engage’ and ‘Five Finger Death Punch’. -(Louder Than War) |
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3/5/14
Next up are Our World Below?, another band who are delivering consistently heavy live performances, as we at Midlands Metalheads were lucky enough to witness when they graced the stage at our Takeover last month. As always, they tear through a set-list that shows no regard for constricting sub-genres, letting the music do the talking and uniting the crowd. Big things await. -Nicola Edwards (Midlands Metalheads) |