Volatile Idea – Demo 2015 – ‘In Mosh We Trust’.

Volatile Idea – Bristol, England, United Kingdom

You may remember our ‘Fresh Picks’ feature on a Hardcore band from Gloucester, England, by the name of Bar Fight. If not, you can find it by clicking Here and helping yourself to some FREE music. This is relevant because it was Volatile Idea’s guitarist, Jon Bryan, who had introduced me Bar Fight.

We then made plans to feature the Bristol boys, and so, here we are.

Volatile Idea began gigging in 2014, and since then, despite their size, have a amassed a positive reputation regarding their sound output and on-stage presence. I’ve been lucky enough to see the band play live a few times, and within each time, they had improved… And gotten louder!

Volatile Idea’s sound is a discordant, volatile (apologies) wall of brutal Hardcore Punk that would shake the very foundations of even the infamous 80’s scene, which was dominated by the likes of Discharge, a band who still pull rank to this day.

\\ In Mosh We Trust //

‘Start A War’ and ‘Master Of Fuck Wits’ break you in. Vocalist, David Pratt, is a lovely bloke, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t significantly not as nice when behind a microphone. In true Hardcore grit, his vocals in these tracks are almost, naturally, as laden with discordant sound and distorted aggression as the down-tuned guitars and chaotic drumming churned out by his fellows.

Influences: ‘Trash Talk, Discharge, Disorder, Gorilla Biscuits, Chaos UK , Toxic Holocaust, Turnstile, Disclose’

After the fast and very noisey Hardcore Punk of ‘Start A War’, and the visceral, ear drum-perforating rage of ‘Master Of Fuckwits’, a taster has been safely imprinted on the audio tongue.

‘Wavy Slow Time’, which is possibly one of the best song titles I’ve heard in a while, showcases the slower, Doom-like elements of D-Beat, which often acts as a refrain amongst the more chaotic tracks. It’s a nice little break… Before the chaos of ‘Lost/Beaten’ anyway.

I personally prefer the harder and faster side of the band compared to the slower-end D-Beat and almost Sludge Metal-type riffs and rhythms. It was something of an early criticism upon first hearing the band, and watching them live as, at least early on, these sections where somewhat lost in the din and feedback.

Since then, the live shows and sound have improved, and their knack for a full-frontal assault is clear and shouldn’t be wasted. ‘Lost/Beaten’ with its dirty Hardcore and Crust/Street Punk guitar work, pulls it off. Nothing really needs to be said on the drumming, it’s consistently pummelling and that’s all it – and I – require.

‘Too Good To Be True’ embodies Crossover Thrash in its verses, and old-school Hardcore in the chorus. What more do you want me to say?

‘I should have known / When I laid eyes on you / I should have known / You were too good to be true‘

The entire song is pure aggression and that’s the last thing I’ll say on that. Except the guitar solo is top notch once again and an absolute treat to hear. Too many of the heavier veins of Hardcore music miss out solos, and that’s a real shame, as sometimes the strained and fury-born vocals and pummelling bass and drum foundations need some company.

If you require some noise in your morning Punk and some dirge in your afternoon Hardcore, then this band are fresh on the scene and require your attention. The follow links are your medium:

• Volatile Idea’s page on Facebook will help keep track of their doings – Click Here.
• The band’s bandcamp profile can be found by clicking Here, where the release can be found for “Pay What You Want Download”.
• Volatile Idea also released a split EP with Bath extreme Hardcore upstarts, Skinners, last year, so do check that out. Our review on Skinners can be found Here, while the split can be found be clicking Here.
• Guitarist Jon Bryan also promotes and puts on gigs in the Bath and Bristol area, so do check out Crash The Clique Promotions – Here.

#StayFresh