Enter Shikari

After releasing the short but sweet ‘The Paddington Frisk‘ back in April, Enter Shikari is back with another single, this time in the form of ‘Radiate‘.

If ‘The Paddington Frisk‘ was designed as a taster to whet our appetites, then it definitely did the trick as we’ve now been served up an absolute feast in ‘Radiate‘. Explosive right from the start, I can definitely see ‘Radiate‘ becoming an absolute live favourite with its mix of electronic excitement and powerful instrumental progression. ‘Radiate‘ is without doubt a track that is made to get people dancing; Rou Reynolds’ lyrical prowess really hits us in the middle of the track and has us gripped with his whispered words of wisdom, ultimately though it’s the track’s high tempo sections that people will love the track for and the reason why they’ll be screaming to hear this one when seeing the band live in action.

‘Radiate‘ is a really impressive single from Enter Shikari, a track that just seems to keep getting better with each and every listen and a piece of music that’ll no doubt do the band’s huge reputation no harm. In this single the band seems to have captured a great deal of what makes them such a special live act; it’s explosive, it’s genre defying, and most of all it’s a massive amount of fun. Give ‘Radiate‘ a listen right now and prepare to be impressed.

Rating : 4/5

Having formed in the suburban area of St. Albans back in 2003, Enter Shikari are one of the most hard working UK bands in existence. To date the band have performed well over 650 live shows, and characterised by their bricolage of glow sticks and mosh pits are a joy to behold. In the November of 2006, Enter Shikari became the second unsigned band in history to have played a sold out show at the London Astoria; the first band to have achieved this having been The Darkness. Enter Shikari have achieved great success for themselves over the past 12 months and they need not thank anyone for that but themselves. For their hard work and dedication Enter Shikari were approached by a number of large record companies, however turned down these offers and their début album ‘Take To The Skies’ was thus released through their own Ambush Reality label, and once more they have chosen to release their material themselves with this Mini Album ‘The Zone’. Comprising of eight tracks this is basically a collection of B-Sides and Rarities from the band and although their album has sold over 100 000 copies to date and has therefore been certified ‘Gold’, this latest release from Enter Shikari is unlikely to achieve anywhere near this amount of success.

Kicking off with ‘The Feast (demo)’, if you’re a fan of the band listening to this one then even at this early stage you’ll already be beginning to pose the question as to what exactly the band are playing at in releasing this Mini-Album. The quality of this track is astoundingly poor, the drums in particular being extremely badly recorded and providing a sound that is tinny and distant. It’s not a promising start to the CD whatsoever, and as the Mini Album progresses things just seem to go from bad to worse. Three of the tracks here are Demo’s so are obviously not going to be exceptionally well recorded, whilst another is from a BBC Live Session with Zane Lowe which has not been pulled off particularly well, one is a poorly executed remix, and the remaining four are all B-Side’s that should rightly have remained so. Together these eight tracks seem to offer up a recipe for disaster, a sure fire compilation of eight tracks that were never truly destined to be packaged together and sold.

It’s difficult to draw positives from a CD of tracks that basically never cut the mustard in the first place. One track I do feel faired well in its outing here however is the Mini Album’s seventh track ‘Mothership’. Originally released in August 2006 as a download only single, the track impressed me back then and still impresses now. It is a finely crafted song, however even the inclusion of this track on the release is really of little use or appeal to fans of the band given that the track was finely tuned and properly mastered for inclusion on their ‘Take To The Skies’ album. A re-issue of a Demo track we’ve since been provided with a finished version of is as far as I’m concerned entirely unnecessary, even for the most hardcore of Enter Shikari fans (the majority of whom will most likely have downloaded the Demo when it was digitally released anyway).

I hate to say it, but ‘The Zone’ for me seems to serve no other purpose other than to make a few extra pounds by putting out a release that never should have happened. Usually this would be the point where I’d point the finger at the major label for cashing in on a band and trying to squeeze as much out of them as possible, however given that the band themselves are the ones that own and run their record label; there is no one to blame here other than Enter Shikari themselves. I did not see this release coming from the band, nor do I feel that fans of theirs should humour them in purchasing this scrappy mess of a Mini Album. At a price of £4.99; ‘The Zone’ is grossly overpriced for what it is and is a CD I strongly suggest you avoid the purchase of. By all means however check out the bands ‘Take To The Skies’ album as it is a terrifically strong release and I am sure that you will be impressed with what you will find there. There is currently no talk of an album number two in the woodwork, but mark my words; if and when it does indeed surface for release, I can guarantee that it will make for a highly explosive listening experience.

Label: Ambush Reality
Release Date: 12th November 2007

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Enter Shikari have enjoyed a great deal of success this year and they have no one to thank for that other than themselves. I truly respect the band for the way they have achieved everything off of their own backs, and really made a success of themselves without the need for major label backing. It is a testament to the changing state of the music industry nowadays that bands are able to do this and it truly is a great thing to see. ‘Take To The Skies’ was released through the bands own Ambush Reality imprint back in March and has been selling extremely well.

On display on this album are the singles ‘Mothership’, ‘Sorry You’re Not A Winner/OK, Time For Plan B’, ‘Anything Could Happen In The Next Half Hour’, and the most recently released ‘Jonny Sniper’ as well as some other great tracks mixing the two different forms of hardcore. It is well worth noting that 5 of the 11 tracks on display here have already been released as singles, highlighting just how strong an album this really is. Although on paper not the album’s strongest single, ‘Sorry You’re Not A Winner’ was a definite silent success – enjoying extensive airplay at Rock clubs across the country for many months. It’s not hard to see why this single was such a success on the club scene; the track was made for making a drunken fool of yourself, clapping along in time to the record. I myself have a definite softspot for this one, there’s just something about it that makes it incredibly enjoyable and listenable. It’s the sort of track you’ll have on repeat and happily sing (and clap) along to for hours on end.

I think that ‘Labyrinth’ is probably my favourite non-single album track here; the synths sound great, and the track as a whole just all seems to fit together perfectly. Right from the exciting synth opening, you know that this one is going to be something really rather special and it certainly doesn’t disappoint as the track progresses. At just under 4 minutes in length, this one never fails to impress and maintains all it’s energy and excitement throughout.

If I were to have one qualm with the band; it would be with their screaming. They sound so much more at home when they are singing as opposed to screaming, and to greatly reduce the use of it would definitely benefit them I feel. At times it just seems that the band are overplaying the screaming element of their music a bit and they are just so much more than this. It is often the case that bands scream a lot in order to compensate for the fact that vocally they aren’t up to much, however Enter Shikari have great vocals that should definitely be forefronted more. It is for this reason therefore that I love the track ‘Adieu’, a track that is completely free of screaming. This is a nice, relaxed, chilled out track forefronting the bands fine vocal talent that works incredibly well. The track builds and builds, leading up to an impressive finale – a great way for the band to say goodbye and bid us farewell from the album. Why therefore the track doesn’t close the album is beyond me, as after this one we get the incredible ‘Ok, Time For Plan B’, followed by the outro.

Having already played at Download Festival, Give It A Name, and Glastonbury this year – the band will also be playing at the Reading and Leeds festivals come the end of the month so if you’re heading along to either of these festivals then make sure you check out Enter Shikari as they are sure to put on one hell of a show. Enter Shikari are an extremely strong young band and given time will surely mature and progress as a band. I myself am already greatly anticipating what the band can come up with in time for album number two.

Label: Ambush Reality
Release Date: 19th March 2007

Rating:

I have nothing but respect for this band, Enter Shikari have got where they are today through much hard work and constant touring, and as far as I’m concerned they fully deserve the success that has come their way. ‘Jonny Sniper’ is a great single, their most radio friendly offering to date and should go down a storm with their legion of fans and those yet to be converted alike. There is a strong vocal performance here, excellent use of the synth, and unforgettable choruses. This truly is a finely crafted single and for me contains all a single should do; it’s fast, fun, and highly memorable. Enter Shikari may not be to everyone’s taste, but I personally love their ability to combine both spectrum’s of Hardcore, and their originality and diversity is something that should definitely be praised. Still only young and currently on the cover of every music magazine going, the future looks to be a bright one for Enter Shikari.

Label: Ambush Reality
Release Date: 18th June 2007

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