Snap Out are a band I first became aware of last year at Polite Riot Festival at the New Cross Inn. I was quickly impressed with the London three piece’s powerful and alternative approach to the punk rock genre. In March they released a brand new album named Hasta La Vista. Yes, that is an Arnold Schwarzenegger reference and in fact all twelve songs on the album named after the Austrian bodybuilder/actor/politician's films. I feel like I should now make an Arnie reference to finish this introduction and lead into the actual review so "get to the choppa" and strap yourself in for this review.
First up is Pumping Iron. The song opens slowly as lead singer Julian Grimm gently sings the song’s chorus alongside a keyboard before the song gets going and you get a real sense of what Snap Out are like. It's hard and powerful but also so full of hooks. The song is also uplifting, it talks about finding courage inside yourself when you feel like you have none. Up next is the song Conan. Much like the opener, Conan is another track that is slow to get going but explodes into life when it does. Unlike Pumping Iron, Conan starts with some thunderous drum beats that really catch your interest in the song early. Harmonies are something I love to hear on my punk songs and Snap Out deliver some wonderful ones towards the song’s ending. The third track, Predator, is where Snap Out show some of their harder edge. It's a real head banger of a song that's likely to get a crowd getting quite rowdy. I enjoyed how the song has moments where it felt like a huge arena rock song but also had moments that would be incredible in a smaller more intimate setting.
True Lies continues the harder feeling in its introduction before switching to a more melodic approach. The opening verse feels like a fast paced shoegaze song before we reach the chorus and things take a hardcore turn with dual vocals courtesy of Grimm and bassist Chris Newman. This might well be where Snap Out are at their best. Last Action Hero sees Snap Out return to a slower, atmospheric introduction that builds towards a huge finale. The track is pretty much split in two, such is the length of the opening building segment. This isn't Snap Out at their most ferocious but it shows a more emotional side of the band. Running Man sees the band change things up a bit with a poppier sounding song that also seems to have a bit of brass. This adds a great extra layer to the track, giving it a bit more bounce. The song is about not being held down by the man. This is a song that should really get a crowd singing along.
Commando is a shorter song where the band really let loose and blast through the track. Because the pace that the song is played at is so packed with energy, it really had me bouncing off the walls. The drums from Toby Pluta really stood out as he drives the song forward. I really thought the sudden stop when the song is at its biggest point was a great touch, it felt like Snap Out put an exclamation point on the song. Terminator shows off Pluta's skill again with a nice bit of percussion to open the song. Snap Out love to make their music atmospheric and this is no exception. It's a mostly instrumental song that serves as an introduction to the next song, Terminator 2. This is your more standard Snap Out song, if you can describe any Snap Out song as standard. Sonically these three guys really are special. Crafting these completely mesmerising songs that do this thing of grabbing you the first time you listen to them but also continue to surprise you with all the small different layers you hear after a few listens.
I was very surprised by the fact that the tenth song on the album, End Of Days, starts out acoustically. I really didn't expect this given what I'd heard from the album so far. This is a wonderfully put together song though and shows a softer side of Snap Out. When the full band does come in, it only adds to the emotion of the song. This is a big ballad. The penultimate song on Hasta La Vista is named Total Recall. Beginning with some guitar effects and a drama building bass line, the song feels sombre and moody throughout. There is an effect put over Grimm's vocals that adds to the feeling, making Total Recall seem extremely cohesive and showing that a lot of thought has gone into the production of Hasta La Vista. The album finishes with Kindergarten Cop. Channelling their inner blink-182, Snap Out play a crass pop punk song about disliking kids and only wanting to get romantic with their mums. It's a fun and nostalgic way to finish the album.
Hasta La Vista is a big album. As I mentioned earlier, I can imagine this being great in a big club show or at a small intimate venue such is the way the album is produced. It's clear that Snap Out are a really talented band and you have to expect some big things are coming for them.
Stream and download Hasta La Vista here: https://snapout.bandcamp.com/
Like Snap Out here: https://www.facebook.com/SnapOutBand/
This review was written by Colin Clark.
No comments:
Post a Comment