There is something to be said about a band that can imbed itself in your consciousness so much that the beats and bass licks can change the rhythm of your heartbeat.
As “Sunshine” boldly blasts open the doors to Tear Down The Heavens, Dead Cells stakes their claim to the rock. The heavy hitting drum/crash cymbal combo packs the energy of a WWE intro song. Toss into the mix the addicting rock guitar licks and funky bass grooves and we’re well on our way to some seriously fun rock. Like a spawn of Sabbath and Soundgarden, Dead Cells craft an all-around entertaining five tracks with their new EP.
With their young existence on the rock scene, formed in 2009, Luke Mackinnon, Kris Willingham, Natalie Mason and Wojtek Broda deliver on a tall order of hard rock. While “Sunshine” is a great opening song, it contends that this quartet from the UK are just another band trying to step up to an already over saturated sound. That is until you turn into “Here be Dragons.” The second track of the EP justifies the existence of the band. Masterfully combining a powerchord infused rage with a fiercly melodic bass/vocal combo, I can’t get enough of this song! As the EP begins to stand on its own we’re treated to “Painkiller,” which dishes out enough funky groove to draw out the Flea-rock style audiophile in us all, and “The Rub,” a call-to-arms rock anthem to contend with the best of them. Mackinnon toys with the harsh realities of being a rock front man without becoming abrasive and maintains his melodic delivery with precision. Throwback quality solos entertainingly delivered by Willingham balance perfectly with Broda’s rhythms. While these three set the pace, the bar is raised by Mason’s prominent and powerful bass grooves. Capping off the EP with “Dead Letter” the pace is slowed a bit, but embeds its presence nonetheless.
With only three years under their belt and a series of live shows, Dead Cells has struck a powerful chord that will only propel them into the ears of rock fans everywhere in a matter time. Their borderline epic-like tracks will become a staple in your 2012 rock ladder.