SHREDS. the first 12 months



SHREDS.

The First 12 Months EP

Self-release 24/10/23


Sheffield’s Shreds’ sonic palette is a mix of skate-punk riffs at 80s hardcore tempos, complemented by an in your face approach and street-punk stylings. Welcome to their self-explanatory ‘The First 12 Months’ EP.


Kicking off with a sample from straight-to-vhs cult classic Office Space, the band waste little time in getting up to speed. It’s a 100mph ride across opening track Micromanager which stands in defiance as an ode to hierarchical workplace frustrations and sticking it to your boss. This street-poetry threads across the EP with everyday issues aired in blunt and direct fashion, whether it be toxic relationships, socialist ideals, or chemical dependency.


Guitars are crunchy and drums are crisp, with a delightfully grinding bass tone adding depth to the mix. Oh, and there’s lots of swearing. It’s a strong combination that leaves little space to breathe. Take Can’t Talk to You, for example; a Grant Hart-esque drum roll whips into a double-time rhythm and is joined by a climbing guitar riff and Jim’s wilfully belligerent vocals delivering the aural equivalent of a slap in the face. The track slips into a standard time groove, replete with gang vocals, before revving back up to implode at the 101-second marker.


Shreds save the best until last, with KO Pills shifting around variations of a scratchy guitar riff that weaves in different directions across the course of the song, all whilst detailing the  struggle of finding external remedies to internal issues. 


Five tracks in less than ten minutes and Shreds are done. Hardcore punk is alive and well!


Judge for yourself: https://shredshc.bandcamp.com

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