Constructor - MMXIII Review
rating:3.5
Fairly fresh faced, as far as formation goes at least, Constructor got things up and running last year and are about a year in the pipeline now. However, over that relatively short time as Constructor the South Wales five piece have been gigging pretty relentlessly in support of their music, starting to get some prominent spots and becoming a regular occurrence in the South Wales hardcore scene splashing in the waters of the equally thriving punk and alternative scenes too. As I write the band are currently gigging heavy in support of their second EP, that came out a couple of weeks back on the 17thof March. Ill readily admit that Im pretty behind on reviewing it, but remaining this consistently drunk takes a lot of time Ill have you know. Though in all seriousness, here is the review and better late than never. No? Alright; Im sorry. Jesus.
Anyway, the EP is called MMXIII for all you Roman numeral fans out there and, as said, is the bands second with the first being Secrets; released in the summer last year. Three tracks on offer this time around, though thats not to say theres anything less on offer when it comes to the substance on each track. First up is Glory which starts kind of as these three tracks mean to go on somewhat like a punch to the face. It doesnt waste time in bringing some riffs that groove very nicely with the rhythm section, especially in the breakdowns. The change for the outro is great too with barked vocals hammering the message home. Wretch comes next and brings even more of a groove that brings to mind the heavier end of Every Time I Die, with some nice and abrasive higher-end guitar work and a catchy melodic vocal. The band recently recorded a video for Wretch too, which you can hear why in the track as it has single potential but still lays it down with the riffs and vocals that see it out to a close. SoulToSell is the third, and final, track and it takes a far more immediately melodic approach with the clean vocals from the off. When it all drops and the bass grumbles alone for a bit its got a touch of that dirty bass that Gallows do so well; and Kerouac did, but as with the rest of the EP the riffs here are much thicker and focus on a low end heaviness. http://youtu.be/JuYud4JSghs Though three tracks is pretty limiting, and perhaps for variety the SecretsEP is a better bet with tracks like Bookworm and WithTeeth experimenting and opening the bands sound out some more, this EP is a great introduction and a good sign for the bands future if they keep up the work ethic. Heavy and aggressive but with a good sense of groove and melody, Constructor are prime example of new Welsh hardcore that is coming through, taking influence from across the Atlantic, as well as next door and building a sound of its own. The EP is free to stream on Bandcamp, but its only £2 to buy and Secretsis only £1. Times are hard, but thats still dirt cheap.