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Reviews
Fracture
This CD blasts and grinds it's way through seven intense tracks
of throaty sub-metallic hardcore. BEECHER embrace technology,
melodies and energy - these pulse rapidly alongside screaming
vocals in a BOTCH stylee. It's damn impressive and sways between
full-on epic rock like the current Brit breed (HUNDRED REASONS
for example or darker stuff) and at other times full-on hardcore
heroics like CONVERGE. Between and within songs are perfectly
spaced lulls and technological quirks that make this Manchester
band truly special. What a treat for UK hardcore. (H.E.)
Kerrang
KKKK
"Seven
track debut form promising northern Genre-Mashers"
Beginning life as a collaboration between a bunch of noise obsessed
Manc sand a couple of Ibiza bound DJs, Beecher a definitely a
band to watch. Imagine if Lost Prophets stopped throwing shapes
for the camera and started listening to a lot of scream-core instead
and you'd have some idea as to what they are about. Like Pitchshifter,
Beecher have a genuine appreciation of technology. "Resention
is a big word..." (although not actually a word at all, if
we're going to split heirs) is a record bubbling with ideas, where
live breakbeats sit alongside heavy guitars, screamed hardcore
vocals and ambient FX. "rise above grace" and "Resention"
itself even have the kind of God-sized chorus so beloved of Linkin
Park, yet with none of the cold corporate calculation. The next
big UK thing? Highly Possible - (Ben Myers)
Terrorizer
Difficult to digest is probably the easiest way to describe Beecher's
debut 'Resention'. Think noisy hardcore with screamy vocals, meets
the emo tinged syrup of Glassjaw, accompanied by Roni Size. Quite
a mixed bag all in all, but strangely it does work. From the schizophrenic
'Resention' to the calling card two minute blast of 'Megadrive
Vs Snes', there are occasions when the extra curricular influences
distract from the main course, but on the whole, quite a bold
step from these manic Manunians. Definitely a band to check out
live, if only to see if they can pull it off. - Lucas George 7.5/10
Suspect
Device
I have only listened to this
album three times through and already I am completely impressed! This is really
fucking good stuff from this Manchester based five piece. Beecher play an exciting
fusion of Metal, Funk, Hardcore, Industrial, Punk and Drum and Bass, they sound
like they have been influenced by a thousand different bands that I have heard
heard before yet at the same
time they sound geniunely unique. Beecher take all the best parts of powerful
and intense metal acts such as Will Haven, Isis, Helmet and Neurosis, the rawness
and passion of early hardcore acts such as Black Flag and The Dead Kennedys and
the melodic charms of Faith No More and The Deftones and twist it all into their
own blend of powerfully moving metallic hardcore. This band have purpose, substance
and passion, both in the band's musical capabilities as well as the lyrical content
(which is a nice balance of political and personal expression). I haven't heard
anything this challenging from a UK band ever before and I think that internationally
only Refused 'The Shape Of Punk To Come' could stand up to the creativity and
experimental vision displayed on this record. Simply jaw-dropping! This band could
change you life! (DZ) Babylon
Magazine (Italy)
Beecher are musical
terrorists. If you are lovers of the frenzy sound, you absolutely have to take
possession of this album and I can assure you that even after a quick listening
you could not nothing but be shocked by the evil explosions which will scatter
in your brain. They made up about two years ago in the town of Manchester with
insane, eclectic heavy intentions and the CD they have succeeded in grinding out
will succeed in satisfying the most demanding palates, above all of those whom
have gotten tired of the usual ridiculous and boring rubbish. Eternal, monstrous
settings, a very taut hard-core which melts with the heaviest metal, the whole
to be approached to mangling distortions, very close to all the maniacs of noise,
passing, obviously, also into the contemporary electronics. Excellent are also
the melodies and the emotions proposed by the singer Ed Godby, who dashes in destructive
screaming when the notes impose it, not to talk about the rhythmic section: it
could give an heart attack! David Hopkins on the bass and Will Shaw on the drums
are able to play some passages unimaginable for us human beings. As far as their
influences are concerned, I have read about a mix among Earthtone 9, Converge
and S.O.A.D but, exactly, we could only talk about that because, in practice,
the band in hand conceives his music in a personal way (they have given me mostly
the idea of God Is My Co-pilot in an ultra-violent and very technical version).
If English rock is in a riot again, Beecher are in the front line, don't miss
'em!
Response:
7,5 (Translated by Clizia Boschetto) Decavity
After hearing a demo of ‘Rise Above Grace’ on the Amped Up… CD,
I’ve been looking forward to hearing more from this band, it’s almost
impossible to describe them they have amazing melodies one minute and Converge-esque
screaming the next. What can be said is that this is a great mini-album from a
band finding its feet; the full-length due next year is bound to be amazing. I
caught them live recently and they’re even better, what’s up with In
At The Deep End, they seem to have this amazing fucking ear for bands that rock. Scruffster
If more of those FNM influenced bands had taken their cues from the twisting,
awkward genius of Caffeine and Jizzlober rather than the pop dalliances of Epic
and From Out of Nowhere then the commercially viable modern metal climate would
no doubt have turned out unrecognisably sunnier than the piss-poor version we’ve
all been disowning the last few years. And it seems in this case thankfully that
Beecher’s brand of contemporary metal immerses itself more in the spirit
of Patten et al’s adventurous genre smashing moments than the whiny voiced
infectious rock (which we love by the way) they dented the singles charts with.
‘Resention…’
is very much a product of now – the post-nu-metal sound meshing with extreme
metal and the more accessible moves of the noisecore brigade dipped in a bit of
organic electronica that creates a fresh, boundary stretching exercise in jerky,
elastic hardcore metal. If there’s a gripe with this record - and we’re
picking now cos it really is the bizzo – it’s the tendency of the vocals
to run into creative block at times, relying too often on the screamy bit / melodic
bit style all too prevalent in much lesser bands. But as we say this is only minor
criticism and not enough for us to rate this record as anything other than…
fucking good stuff, for want of a better term! Sorry folks, we’re lacking
inspiration and good nature today due to constant sleep deprivation and those
flagons of stale Cider. But if you can trust in our judgement and do the right
thing you’ll be investing in a seriously worthy addition to your CD rack.
Inside
Knowledge #7
(Holland)
Rocking melodic and chaotic riffs and vocals that
vary from high screamed parts to beautiful clean parts, that's how to describethe
sound of this English band. It wouldn,t surprise me if the singer of Beecher has
been kicked really hard in his nuts. The high screaming he uses sound sunique
and cool, that singer also throws in a lot of variation with the use some clean
vocal parts as well. The melancholic but beautiful clean vocals add a lot of diversity
to the sound of Beecher. These clean vocals should attract a much bigger audience.
This band is a nice surprise and should get your attention because these talented
guys have got a lot of potential. i should advice everyone to check them out. Reflections
Zine
(Holland)
Damn, how to describe a band that has a song entitled
Megadrive VS Snes, uses computerloops, plays both emo and screamo , has one song
about the Australian band Status Quo (?) and still sounds hardcore enough to be
reviewed in this magazine? I can tell you it's damn hard. Beecher is somewhere
between The Spirit That Guides Us and later Refused. Worth checking out if you're
interested in more experimental hardcore. (AR)
Raw
Nerve
Okay. I take a shot for this being god knows how many months over-due.
I thought this review had been done on the last update, and then
realized it wasn't there! Many apologies, but hopefully this will
prove worth the wait. Currently
Beecher are one of the best bands in the UK, no questions asked,
they prove it time and time again in the live setting, continuously
getting better and more potent everytime. A fully deserved and
justified accolade, and this CD goes a long long way into proving
why, the live performances go all the way from there! Beginning
with some awesomely crafted sounds and ambience, leading the way
for the band to join in slowly, with soft and subtle jazzy rhythms
and an almost Neurosis being nice feel. Most bands would be impressed
with themselves if they could even compile a song as good as the
intro, with delightful melodic patterns and a mood build almost
unequalled elsewhere. Then after 3 minutes, the full weight kicks
in, think towards Cave In, think towards a ten times better combination
of Vision of Disorder and Boy Sets Fire, throw in some full on
metal and we are approaching the might that Beecher are. Ed's
voice screams and peels skin whilst the rest riff on and up things
build. At 4 1/2 minutes, a great chug/squeel riff kicks in, almost
Meshuggah-esque, and the full roam across all the metallic styles
is complete! So what of the full CD? Well, every song builds the
picture its trying to convey perfectly, with great dramatic shifts
in mood, with wonderous playing ability and vision (the drummer
is a complete marvel, sounding capable of anything right to the
most complex of jazz runs). "The UK Converge" could
be a tag line, although I think Beecher have much more going on.
The atmospheres just over a minute into "Megadrive Vs Snes"
should prove that, wonderful drums and spacey sounds, absolutely
tight as it gets and well put together. Throw in more bands as
we go along:- Tool, Judas Factor, Code Seven, Earthtone9, Canvas,
FailSafeFailed, D-Rail, it's all there. A minute into "Rise
above grace" is completely spine tingling, as is the rest
of the entire release, follow this section with something Cave
In forgot to include on "Jupiter" and so the genius
continues. Every song has such an epic feel, and is executed as
well as its ever going to be done. If you want a band that you
will love dearly, no matter what style of music you are into,
then I think Beecher must be close to being a winner. "Artistic
roll call" has incredibly pieced together drum patterns and
more soundscapes, further hammering their point home, whilst "Circus
de lobos" has a stunning opening riff and the love this band
just grows stronger. If I had to name my favourite 5 bands of
all time from the UK, I think Beecher would most definitely have
to be one of them. Full respect due
Punknews
Its not often I get excited about an album, but the arrival of
'Resention..' on my doormat this morning had me scrambling for
the play button on my shitty stereo. And what can I say about
this album other than 'Fuck me.' Beecher have been fully operational
for barely a year, yet this release is as accomplished an album
you are likely to hear in the UK or anywhere else this year. What
Beecher have done is to create an album which steamrollers over
all of the genre boundaries you care to throw at it, flitting
between brutal and angry Hardcore, Whitenoise, ambient Drum 'n
Bass and EVERYTHING in between. Echoes of Tool hauntsome gorgeous
choruses, while monstrous guitars and beefed up grooves batteralong
like an enraged Truck Driver, unregardless of anything in their
path. The use of technology in the form of drum loops works fantastically
and I dare drummer Will Shaw to pull off some of his brilliant
rolling and time changes in a live setting. Vocally, Beecher move
between screamo shreiking (Megadrive vs Snes) and as true a singing
voice you will find in the UK underground (Resention).I'm going
to stick my scrawny neck out here and volunteer not only that
I havent heard anything better come out of the UK this year, but
that I havent heard anything which marries Melody and Aggression
as well anywhere for a long time.To label this band 'Post Hardcore'
would be a cop out but its as close as you'regonna get I'm afraid.This
EP stands up to or exceeds anything from across the pond, and
frankly would sell like hotcakes anywhere if the British media
didnt have its collective head up America's obese, angsty butt-hole.
Wake up and celebrate UK bands like Beecher. Its your loss.
Beecher: Innovative, exciting, eclectic. Best of all, British.
Album of the year so far.
5/5.
Punktastic
Manchester has long been recognised as a
breeding ground for musical talent. The so-called “Mad-chester” scene
gave rise to the likes of the Happy Mondays, the Stone Roses and more recently
the annoying Gallagher brothers with Oasis. However, amongst this plethora of
high profile acts there has been little in the way of well know punk bands hailing
from the area. All this is set to change with the arrival of Beecher. ‘Resention
is a big word in a small town’ is the bands debut EP, featuring seven original
tracks and released through In At The Deep End Records. Beecher began life in
2000, with three members and the notion of being a collaborative group incorporating
local musicians. However, the initial plan failed and by 2001 Beecher had become
a five-piece band. ‘Resention is a big word in a small town’ was released
earlier this year and has already been bombarded with critical praise: it’s
not difficult to see why. The most striking thing about Beecher is their ability
to combine a great number of musical styles. Over the course of the seven songs
they veer from hardcore/metal to softer more ambient styles, with plenty of time
to incorporate styles in between and throw in a whole load of technical wizardry
for good measure. Opening track ‘You’ve got 7 weeks’ gives a good
taste of what is to come. The song builds from a slow and brooding start, again
showing the bands taste for the electronic. By the time the chorus kicks in, with
vocalist Ed Godby displaying a Mike Patton-esque style, you know this is a band
that are going to stand out from the crowd. ‘Megadrive Vs Snes’ by comparison,
sees the band in straightforward hardcore mode, with shrieking vocals and superb
drumming. ‘Rise above grace’ has the band striding across genres once
more and features a big infectious chorus. ‘Resention’ and ‘Artistic
roll call’ both find the band in heavier territory, with great guitar riffs
and varying vocal ranges. These two tracks also display the bands ability to change
tempo during songs, a trait that adds a further dimension to their sound. The
final two tracks, ‘Circus de lobos’ and ‘KAR120C’ meld into
each other a little too much for my liking, but still see the band displaying
fine technical ability. Beecher are brutal, beautiful and brilliant in equal measures.
‘Resention is a big word in a small town’ is a stunning debut that showcases
how versatile the band are. Don’t even thinking about attaching a label to
this band because they will prove you wrong within the space of two songs! With
their ability to stun and delight the listener at the same time, Beecher have
produced one of the best UK releases of the year. There can be little doubt that
this is a band going places… Slug
& Lettuce (USA)
Beecher
are the UK's answer to Brother's Keeper meets Cave In or something.
KIND
Liked to Converge by many and Described as mathcore, Beecher certainly
comes up with Technical metalcore as heavy as the average breezeblock,
with evil vicious vocals mixed with Sections of clean well-rounded
vocals And with areas that can only be described as ‘lounge-act’
(not totally un-similar to the interludes that Snot used) only
lure you into a false feeling of security before knocking you
off your feet again, with a pummelling of more noise helped by
the use of kaoss pads and computers, proving that the experimental
sound making of Refused is still highly influential. For fans
of, Converge, Botch, Dillinger Escape Plan and the like
HARVEY
RockUK
After hearing a lot of buzz from message boards and websites about this band I
went to Derby to go and see these support Dead Inside, and after the amazing performance
they gave I purchased their CD, and it certainly doesn’t disappoint. Beecher
are a young band from Manchester, they often get compared to bands like Converge,
Dillenger Escape Plan (as I was falsely told) and even Faith No More, yet this
does not some up there sound at all. You could called them screamcore, but their
sound has so many layers it’s impossible to put them in a box. Using Electronica,
weird guitar effects, melodic vocals and a bass sound which you would associate
with funk or jazz then the next minute playing Heavy as fuck riffs with a lead
singer screaming likes there is no tomorrow, beecher are a very complex band.
This CD represents their live act very well and shows the degree of Beechers sound
song by song. For instance the first song “you’ve only got 7 weeks”
starts off with an atmospheric electronic background noise (created by Mark Lyons
trusty computer) but within 2 minutes it suddenly changes into a big Scream fest
with slayer Esque riffs galore. Whilst the next song on this MCD “megadrive
VS SNES just no frills pure metal. If they were American, kerrang and the other
“rock” presses would be calling the “next best thing” already
if you like your metal with originality and intelligence, check this band out
live and purchase the CD at the show, because it won’t disappoint at all.
7 songs of diversity and anger which will hit the spot.
Stand out tracks:
You’ve only got 7 weeks, KAR 120C, Rise Above Grace
Rating: 8/10 - by
Eddie Johnson Organ
An adventurous mix of sometimes viciously yappy hardcore confrontation, forward
looking rhythms and almost dance/drum'n'bass textures that collide with an avant-metal
style. Thrashing yelling collisions driving experimental hardcore metal and cutting
melody (that at times verges on the ambient). Chaotically considered, a contridiction
in chaos and calm, melody and screaming paranoia... potentially enthralling, already
rewarding - think Medulla Nocte, Converge, think Celtic Frost go experimentally
emo in a blistering hardcore kind of way, well worth your time. Manchester
Music
Four “K” s later and you know that when you’re
listening to Beecher, long reviews aren’t necessary. “You’ve Got
Seven Weeks” breaks in gently with a tripping out with an isolated vocal
breaking through the structured drum rolls and feedback effects. Before
long though you’re enveloped in a tonnage of pure and immense rock –
whilst there’s an overall order to things, the arrangements are more challenging,
epic and most of all the best fun I’ve had all month. Between the haunting
chilled out melodies there’s the intensity and throat scraping screams of
any self respecting rock outfit. The inspired “Megadrive vs SNES” is
a supercharged hybrid, supper accellerated affair that flies a flag as much for
metal thrash as it does for original pioneers “Discharge”. By God even
“Radiohead” infected effects get a look in as does a Drum and Bass backbeat.
Classic moment appears in “Rise Above Grace” a track too wonderful to
share and one which is full of all sorts of influences – both in a technical
and music sense. The chorus is truly inspirational and anthemia – full of
fantastic ideas and moves. Wonderful. “Circus De Lobos” clatters and
thunders up and down the chords it was born with. Again we get the great melodic
vocal breaks. The production is unbelievable and on a par with the last Oceansize
record – with whom they share a habit of complex arrangements, carefully
structured crescendos and quiet moments. But musically, things couldn’t eb
any different. “KAR120c” ensures that things go out a screaming vs.
vocal tune finale, rounding what is a triumphant e.p. Beecher have produced a
classic CD. One of the best I’ve heard this year (if not the best) and one
of the most exciting listens since reviews started here. A brilliantly delivered
collection of razor sharp tracks, blunt vocals and chainsaw arrangements, delivered
with the care and panache of the Halle Orchestra. Go one, indoctrinate a generation
and spread the Beecher word. It makes perfect sense. [MMMMM] Unfit
For Consumption(Ireland)
This
opens with a fantastically eerie sample, broken by drumwork before some
electronics
creep into add to its suspense before the whirlwind is unleashed
in all manner
of the full on throttle of Converge chaoscore. To keep things
interesting
there's also a lot of melodic rock ala Boys Set fire, and even a
small bit
of Tool going on in "Rise Above Grace". The drumming is very much
to the fore and the noisy vocals reminded me of Paul from Medulla Nocte most
of the time. I'd say this mob might be very interesting live. (TM) Planet
Loud
Beecher hail from Manchester and their seven track CD, Resention Is A Big Word
In A Small Town, is already causing a bit of stir amongst the UK underground.
Mixing dark, haunting melodies a la Earthtone 9 with the sort of caustic fury
that you'd expect from a band like Iron Monkey or Medulla Nocte, Beecher kick
up a fury that could only come from a British band. Resention.. has got it all,
melody, emotion, aggression, fury, anger and a top notch production to boot. You
couldn't ask for more. Frankly this is one of the best CD's to pass through Planet
Loud HQ in a long time and comes thoroughly recommended to anyone who like noise-based,
groove-drenched, emotion. Big
Cheese
This is quite a disturbing release, the songs start with strange instrumental
intros that suggest an emo epic is to follow, then they go for the throat like
a stalker in an alley. The riffs are huge & metallic, while the vocals resemble
the strained screams of a dying man. Beecher sound like a twisted fusion of Stampin
Ground, Boys Set Fire sprinkled with a little Thursday. It's a real rollercoaster
of anger & calm, which is quite enthralling. The vocals may not be to everyone's
taste, but I'm sure that Beecher wouldn't have it any other way. great song titles
too like 'Megadrive Vs Snes', wonder if the follow up to that will be called 'PS2
Vs Xbox'. Fury
Fanzine
With ex-members of Summerbookclub and Rex Kramer in this
5-piece it's emo-cum-screamo workings comes as no big surprise. The 7 tracks on
this disc fit together not unlike a Quentin Tarantino film, the scenes might not
seem to be in the right order but you still get the end result. And
that's the basic theme. Beecher go from the most mellow, soft sounds, into your
standard 100 Reasons rock-riffs and then pick the pace up further by launching
full scale screaming hardcore blasts, vocalist Ed Godby switching from croons
to duck-like squeaks and then out again. Add to this already elaborately iced
cake a healthy dose of electronic noises and you get…a cake with electronic
bits. It works, and it's great, the only let down on the disc is the slightly
clinical production that really does strip Beecher of what I can imagine to be
some intense emotion and raw sound. But as the songs on here seem to follow a
more emotive flow rather than verse/chorus etc it more than compensates.
(Greg) Raw
Nerve Fanzine
Awesome speech sample about the Cerebral Cortex found
on the Discovery Channel a while back begins this mini album from Manchesters
Beecher who are a bit of a hard prospect when it comes to trying to review them,
simply for the fact of if you want a comparison to another band, you aint really
got much of a chance. Kind of has all the Code Seven/ Judas Factor/ Will Haven/
D-Rail sensibilities and sounds and ideas, and would also be appreciated by fans
of Bob Tilton, Crown Hate Ruin and maybe the Boy Sets Fire/ As Friends Rust section
of music although is much harsher than both those. The guitars are fairly damn
discordant but also thrown in are lots of nicer emo twinkles and excellent jazz
touches on the drums. A very cracked, disturbing, hateful vocal emits its passion
over the top, occasionally running off into nice singing patterns. Some more cool
samples and sounds are thrown in ( check out DAK 10 for some of Mark's solo work,
the lad responsible for the sounds on here ). The production on this is pretty
decent although the guitar sound is a little weird in parts, maybe not as full
a sound as is deserved but it gives it a dark and sombre feel which may well have
been the idea. This band are cool on CD but far far cooler live so check em out
whenever you get the chance. There is one drifty section in track 4, 90 seconds
in where bass/drums and spacey samples take over, proving how much more thought
that the average band this lot put in. Definitely from what I've heard so far
(2 gigs, 2 cd's to date) Beecher are a name to watch for amongst the current crop
of discordant heavy bands. If I had to narrow it down to one sentence I would
have to say "very heavy and evil rocking metallic emo noisecore" ..
Hows that for ya?!!! :) Amplify
This
Impressive. Very impressive.
Beecher have been around for only a year and a half, but they have developed a
compelling and original sound. Forming from the ashes of such bands as DrMeatDic
and Ewoc, the Manchester five-piece play a vicious brand of intense, bare-knuckled,
aggressive hardcore. Opener,
'You've Got 7 Weeks', sets the scene nicely, with an eerie backdrop, enhanced
by Edward Godby distorting and allaying sound on the Kaoss Pad. The song slowly
builds to a heart-felt chorus, grace of Daniel Plant's cathartic vocal approach
(similar to Paul Abjure), before launching into an insane climax. The interestingly
titled 'Megadrive Vs Snes' is more of a full-on, finger-pointing, screeching aural
assault executed with expert musicianship and a crushing vocal mix. The soaring
guitar passages smack of Thirty Seconds Until Armageddon and Urgo. Beecher's sound
incorporates hook-laden breakdowns, down-tuned stoner riffs and discordant bridge
passages. Lyrically, Plant moves comfortably from Abjure-style choruses to ruthless
Residence-style brutality in the verses. Production is heavy-handed in places,
but effective nonetheless, given the live energy of Beecher. With a full-length
release imminent, it's not hard to envisage Beecer reaching new levels and pushing
boundaries further over the coming years. Production providing, it makes for a
mouth-watering prospect. Judging by the dense and powerful sound on 'Resention…',
Beecher have a lot to look forward to.
www.pastepunk.com
You
know, it's not every day you receive an album that you can truly say is quite
unlike anything else in your collection. I really didn't know what to expect from
BEECHER's debut. From the gentle wind samples that open 'You've got 7 Weeks' to
its haunting melodic licks and explosive mosh parts, you know right away that
what you're hearing is truly unique. And that's just the first song! But at six
minutes in length, it's an epic in every sense of the word, proving these UK screamo
pioneers put a lot more thought and creative flair into their hardcore than many.
That's not to say that they can't pull off the simplistic pounding drums and violent
riffage of their contemporaries, as the two minute slap of 'Megadrive Vs Snes'
delivers more than enough clout in this field (and funnily enough the words 'Sonic'
and 'Mario' never crop up at all). But in between the carnage lies genuinely infectious
melodious (SYSTEM OF A DOWN meets CONVERGE?) parts that go a long way in bulking
up the life span of this seven track EP, blending seamlessly with the inhuman
screamage that delivers the majority of BEECHER's poetic wordage. If you picked
up the excellent 'Amped Up…' compilation that this label put out earlier
in the year then you'll recognize BEECHER's contribution 'Rise Above Grace' on
this EP. But it's really just a surface scratcher when compared to the whole disc,
which is just overloaded with variety and pulse as it takes the best parts of
hardcore, metalcore, emo, indie and grunge and moulds them into one super genre.
Atmospheric, versatile and artistically compelling, BEECHER are a fine contribution
to a promising genre, and a band you'll definitely want to check out if you're
tired of the same old shit. www.poisonfree.com
Coming
from the UK, Beecher surprised me with a kinda experimental mix of driving metallic
hc and rhythmic extraordinaries. From the first song on you are thrown from one
mood to another, calm instrumental parts are followed by clean rocking passages
with a nice sung vocal, only to be disturbed by some Converge-esque hectic verse,
executed by a well coordinated rhythm section (with a nice rocking drummer!).
As said, their frontman Edward Godby is able to bring you some nice melodies (not
any worse than your usual alternative allstars from the stars) as well as this
manic, superhigh screaming you know from, again, Converge. Surely some people
may not like this quite special style, but it fits into the music as well. Another
stylistic element these guys introduce are the loop-like drum phases with some
synthesizer sounds in the background, as shown in “megadrive vs. Snes”
(on of the coolest song titles of all time). Despite of the various elements you
will not find that often in your record collection the songs flow quite well,
taking the harmonic passages as the right bridge to close the gap between the
harder, hectic screamed parts, turning the overall impression to some rocking
metalcore. Well produced and well designed as well. I think that this band will
turn some heads with this release, and they will surely get the attention they
deserve. Check www.beecher-online.com for more info. - Phil www.theprp.com
Beecher manage to bring together a medley of sounds that cross between metallic
hardcore and an array of styles that include a straight forward rock element,
hints of emo and also a subtle use of technology and blast beats. In the current
climate this seems to be all the pre requisite ingredients to hit the masses yet
nothing is cynical about this young British band. Opening with a tranquil and
dulcet sequence of sounds pitted against melodic vocals there's nothing to give
away what is to come before it hits you when the melodic vocals turn to screams
and the guitars step up a gear. The voice of Ed Gody gives Beecher a distinct
hardcore sound as he shrieks at a pitch that is certain to disturb the neighborhood
dog well into the night. The vocals are certainly an acquired taste, but then
sounding like the Converge singer is by no means a limiting factor. This mixed
with a knack for emphatic huge choruses and gritty melodic vocals not too unlike
Britain's next big thing Inme makes for a pleasant combination of all out blind
rage yet also an introspective controlled side. Standout track 'Resention' best
demonstrates the use of the two differing styles with a raining guitar sound that
glistens with the melodic vocals and a razor sharp sound for the hardcore shrieks.
With an air of experimentation about it Beecher have managed to put out an accomplished
album that sounds quite unlike anything else, where trip hop beats can co habit
with wailing screams and soaring rock vocals. As such this is still very much
a learning curve for the band and some tracks can pass you by and sound slightly
disjointed yet when it does come together, and it frequently does with beecher,
it sounds all the more better for taking such risks. The only other minor gripe
is that the tuneful melodic vocals can at times feel untrained but this doesn't
take away from the fact that this is the best material from a new U.K. band to
pass through my hands this year. No mean feat. Flex
Your Head (Canada)
What a cool title for a record. (Just thought I'd get that out of the way.) This
release starts off on an odd note, which left me wondering what I'd gotten into.
Resention... presents itself to the listener with some spacey feedback and trippy
vocals, backed by the band going off on some sort of bluesy improv number. And
when they did have me off balance with the opening to this CD is when it kicked
in with the heavy stuff. Full on chaos! Harsh, metallic, noisy hardcore was the
name of the game from that point out. Or so I thought. Ah ha! They fooled me yet
again! The confusion gives way to melody at times, completely throwing me off
once more. The melody is subtle, such as a clean vocal part or harmonious guitar
riffing, but is enough to shake things up. Figuring out where this release is
going from song to song is like watching a butterfly on a hot summer day. - Brad
Mitchell Artcore
This starts out as metallic lunar rock
with background sound effects that remind me of the music from 'Space 1999', but
then bursts into this massive crunching post-grunge grind with with over-the-top
sung vocals. Then we're off into screamo-metal territory with Slayer riffage a-go-go...
god, this is bananas! Hang on, he's back in Pearl Jam mode again, getting all
deep and meaningful. But wait, it's that Hawkwind space jam again and some spastic
drumming. If nothing else this is original. A Nu-Metal soundtrack to escapee sectioned
psychiatric patients jumping off steel viaducts and hitting every girder on the
way down.
www.aversionline.com
Lots
of twists and turns with this one. The disc opens with a deep, rumbling ambient
intro, gradually leading way to some percussion and some nice singing vocals.
After that some heavy melodic guitars jump in and things continue along, and the
next thing you know the tempo increases exponentially, the riffing becomes insanely
dissonant, the vocals switch over to unrelenting high-pitched screams, and there
are tons of very subtle chaotic noises swirling around in the background (the
singer also uses a Kaoss pad and one of the guitarists also manipulates some sounds
with Audiomulch). "Megadrive vs SNES" is much shorter and slightly more
straightforward, making more obvious use of the noise elements and letting the
highly impressive rhythm section do a lot of work. The drumming is really nice,
fast and tight with a lot of tasteful flare, and the basslines really lock in
with the percussion perfectly, helping to hold down a concrete sense of direction
when the guitars and the noise are at their most intense. But the band has an
excellent sense of melody, there are some amazingly catchy choruses. The production
is pretty good. The drums are crisp and natural, the bass tone is really dense,
and the vocals sound great, with just a little bit of reverb at times. I'd possibly
clean up the guitars a little bit, though they sound alright now. If nothing else,
just turn up the bass so that it's equal with the drums. The lyrics are usually
brief passages but I do enjoy the flow a lot, "Torn between your conscience
and the truth resolution met by nothing you need to break this with your mind
and not your fist." The layout is a little bit bland and misleading for what
Beecherhas to offer musically. It's mostly black and white with only scarce and
very unsaturated use of color. But the photos are really cool, and the lyrical
presentation is nice and compact, so it gets the job done. In the end this is
a really interesting CD thattook me by surprise (read: It's better than I was
expecting). The band's writing is intelligently balanced between melody and abrasiveness,
with a great knack for mixing lush clean passages and noisy textures, as well
as moderate technicality, without abandoning the flow of the songs. Good work.
Keep an eye on these guys. Running time - 27:49, Tracks: 7 [Notable tracks: Megadrive
vs SNES, Rise Above Grace, Circus de Lobos] Enough
Webzine (Germany)
Manchester
based Beecher gave me a hard time having their CD to review. This CD features
6 songs in 27 minutes which already shows you´d better should not expect
short thrasher or 2 minute popsongs. Instead all of the songs are diverse and
arranged very well. Fierce metal turns into sweet singing and back. Intense, but
the melodic singing parts really turn me of, sounding like "alternative"
acts your local disco loves you to swallow. Sorry, not my taste, even if this
is undoubtly a good release! Maybe it grows on me, like the last Cave In album
did, too. UK´s Jupiter period Cave In? Allschool
(Germany)
Nochmal nette Musik aus dem vereinten Königreich. Beecher
machen eine total abgefahrene Kombination aus Chaos/Metalcore ala Dillinger Escape
Plan/Converge und auf der anderen Seite klingen sie wie eine megaerfolgreiche
New Metal Band. Das alles in einem Vereint macht schon ne richtig abgefahrene
Mischung die sowohl bei Kerrang als auch bei Terrorizer eindruck geschaffen hat.
Das ganze klingt verdammt gut Produziert und Chartsverdächtig müssten
sie nur die verdiente Aufmerksamkeit ausserhalb Englands bekommen. In England
spielen Beecher wöchentlich Shows und kommen sehr gut an und hoffentlich
ändert sich das bald auch bei uns, denn die Band hat einiges drauf und wenn
sie das Live auch so umsetzene können sind sie verdammt fett und ein absoluter
Geheimtip wie auch Eden Maine!!! 7/10 Simone Musicscan
(Germany)
Mit "Resention..."
haben Beecher aus England ein beachtliches Debütalbum vorgelegt, das sich
mit ausreichendem Touren und der nötigen Promotion eigentlich auch außerhalb
der Insel durchsetzen müsste, denn was die Jungs hier zu bieten haben, kann
sich durchaus hören lassen. Sound- und Produktionstechnisch ist man zwar
noch nicht über alle Zweifel erhaben, doch das macht man dann einfach mit
umso besseren und abwechslungsreicheren Songs wett. Beecher könnte man als
eine Symbiose aus Melt-Banana, Converge und den neueren Cave-In Sachen umschreiben
und ich bin mir sicher, dass sich die Band mit diesen Referenzpunkten durchaus
zufrieden zeigen würde. Sie verbinden dabei die Energie von Melt-Banana mit
der technischen Versiertheit und dem kontrollierten Chaos von Converge und dem
Gespür für große Riffs und Melodien, für die sich Cave-In,
speziell mit ihrem letzten Album "Jupiter", einen Namen gemacht haben.
Schizophrenes Gekeife findet man auf dem Album genauso wie atmosphärisch
dichte Gesangsparts, die ab und an durch einen elektronischen Soundteppich unterstützt
werden, um im nächsten Moment in einer Grindattacke zu enden. Einziges Manko
ist dabei der fehlende Druck und Brillanz der Produktion, die eben nicht ganz
an genannte Bands heranreicht. Ich bin sehr auf die weitere Entwicklung der Band
gespannt, da ich mir sicher bin, dass sie mit ihrer nächsten Scheibe die
Anfangsfehler ausbügeln können und wenn ihnen jemand genügend Geld
für einen angemessenen Studioaufenthalt gibt, ein wirklich überzeugendes
Album vorlegen können. Man darf gespannt sein. |
£3
€5
$6
£5