Enter Shikari are a Post-Hardcore, Dubstep, Drum and Bass, Electrocore, Rock, Trance and Heavy Metal band. Formed in St. Albans, Hertfordshire in 2003, Enter Shikari have developed and varied their sound and style through ‘Take to the Skies’ (2007) and ‘Common Dreads’ (2009); two immensely successful albums. However, ‘A Flash Flood of Colour’ is their most popular record to date, peaking at number one in the mid-week UK Album Charts.
‘A Flash Flood of Colour’ opens with synth style ‘System...’ that conjoins with rhythmic string sections, harsh back beats and Enter Shikari’s signature preaching lyrics, ‘They invested in a system that was beyond repair!’ With gang vocals and vocalist Rou Reynolds’ incredible coarse vocal abilities, this track blends with ‘…Meltdown’ with offers a modern addition of high pitched beeps that somehow just work, reflecting the distinctive and unique style Enter Shikari have to offer in all their music. Running into a mixture dubstep and sound effect mayhem, with great harmonies, this two part song is certainly a positive opening to a third album; a respectable blend of their old and new sounds.
The band have pinpointed a flawless combination of styles, sounds and genres and have well and truly ran with them for create this album. ‘Sssnakepit’ was released as a single on the 20th of September 2011 as a digital download and reached number 62 in the UK Singles Chart, number 11 on the UK Indie Chart and number 1 on the UK Rock Chart. Commencing gently (for the first five seconds), this track lures the listener in with epic sound effects and decent vocals, which are very rarely found in dubstep music. Each verse builds up into a chorus that’s nothing short of epic and the comic end to the track, with references to and mimics of Louis Armstrong, the brand prove that music with a message does not have to be all serious.
‘Search Party’ begins as a limp club song would, but hits the listener in the face with more strong vocals and sound effects. The gang vocals on this track are perfect for Enter Shikari’s future live shows, and prove that they are considering their live sound as well as recorded. In fact, said gang vocals are nothing short of emotional and depict that beyond anything, this band have heart. ‘Arguing with Thermometers’ is rapid, yet wonderfully rhythmic and punchy and surprisingly, does not lack commercial value. With music inputs from several types instrumentation and genres (including an almost pop worthy chorus), as well as an environmental message through full on scream vocals ‘You know there’s oil in my eyes!’, this track is dazzling.
Following track ‘Stalemate’ is, in a word beautiful. It showcases Enter Shikari’s indefinite range of musical talents and their endless versatility. Somehow, they flawlessly jump from pop-style dubstep to an almost acoustic, gentle track and it just works as this album’s ‘Gap in the Fence’. But when the latter progresses into a rougher Drum and Bass style, it enhances the track and unfortunately, ‘Stalemate’ is tarnished somewhat by seemingly random bursts of background sound until it comes full circle with simplistic piano and vocals.
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| 'A Flash Flood of Colour': Artwork |
The band have pinpointed a flawless combination of styles, sounds and genres and have well and truly ran with them for create this album. ‘Sssnakepit’ was released as a single on the 20th of September 2011 as a digital download and reached number 62 in the UK Singles Chart, number 11 on the UK Indie Chart and number 1 on the UK Rock Chart. Commencing gently (for the first five seconds), this track lures the listener in with epic sound effects and decent vocals, which are very rarely found in dubstep music. Each verse builds up into a chorus that’s nothing short of epic and the comic end to the track, with references to and mimics of Louis Armstrong, the brand prove that music with a message does not have to be all serious.
‘Search Party’ begins as a limp club song would, but hits the listener in the face with more strong vocals and sound effects. The gang vocals on this track are perfect for Enter Shikari’s future live shows, and prove that they are considering their live sound as well as recorded. In fact, said gang vocals are nothing short of emotional and depict that beyond anything, this band have heart. ‘Arguing with Thermometers’ is rapid, yet wonderfully rhythmic and punchy and surprisingly, does not lack commercial value. With music inputs from several types instrumentation and genres (including an almost pop worthy chorus), as well as an environmental message through full on scream vocals ‘You know there’s oil in my eyes!’, this track is dazzling.
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| Enter Shikari's vocalist Rou Reynolds and Reading Festival 2011 |
Following track ‘Stalemate’ is, in a word beautiful. It showcases Enter Shikari’s indefinite range of musical talents and their endless versatility. Somehow, they flawlessly jump from pop-style dubstep to an almost acoustic, gentle track and it just works as this album’s ‘Gap in the Fence’. But when the latter progresses into a rougher Drum and Bass style, it enhances the track and unfortunately, ‘Stalemate’ is tarnished somewhat by seemingly random bursts of background sound until it comes full circle with simplistic piano and vocals.
‘Gandhi Mate, Gandhi’ jerks into action with spoken lyrics; ‘I don't know about you, but I don't think the primary purpose of your life, of my life and the entirety of the human race's is just to blindly consume to support a failing economy and a faulty system…’ until its jolts into sharp sentences, ‘We’re sick of this shit!’ Even Enter Shikari’s instrumental sections are abrasive with sound effects smashing into their controversial lyrics. The start stop motion of this song allows for the input of spoken light-hearted banter and clever lyrical techniques ‘Yabba Dabba Do one son, we don’t want your rules!’ as well as a melody that is undoubtedly that of Gorillaz’s ‘Feel Good Inc’.
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| Enter Shikari |
Third albums from bands or artists are notoriously known as the most difficult of their career in an attempt to please as many fans as possible and attract a wider audience, but ‘A Flash Flood of Colour’ does both admirably well. ‘Warm Smiles Do Not Make You Welcome Here’ is pulsing and although good singularly, does not represent the best that Enter Shikari can do. ‘Pack of Thieves’ with its eerie opening, calming vocals and metal style guitaring that effortlessly mixes with Dub- sounds is what this band are all about. Penultimate track ‘Hello Tyrannosaurus, Meet Tyrannicide’ begins with a Greek style sound and reflects the band’s push of messages to their listeners and showcases of what they can do, ‘But remember, empires always fall!, and even comes to a conclusion with a great string section that invites the listener to understand Enter Shikari’s softer side as conveyed in ‘A Flash Flood of Colour’s’ final offering, ‘Constellations.’ With flawless vocal harmonies, The Streets esque spoken verses and with instrumental sections worthy of 30 Seconds to Mars, this track is an emotional termination of a fantastic album.
'A Flash Flood of Colour’ proves how inventive Enter Shikari are with style, sound and genre and how ground-breaking their music is. They have managed to build and maintain a large fan base despite sound variations through the years and their underlying messages about the world. The energy exploded from this record is mind-blowing and the future looks bright for the most hybrid band ever to grace the Earth.
5/5
