YOUTH MAN - EP REVIEW

Youth Man - Hill Of Knives EP 
Youth Man - Hill Of Knives

Release Date: 27th April 2015

Well this should be good. A Birmingham trio influenced by the like Bad Brains, Dead Kennedys and Black Flag but with a psyche tinge and the backing of some rock media heavyweights, you say? Don't mind if I do. The 'Hill Of Knives EP' opens with 'Skin' and immediately the trio hit their stride which is lucky as the song only lasts 77 seconds. The vocals of Kaila Whyte are uncompromising and visceral but oh so captivating as you visualise the tightly packed venues bouncing around in front of and on top of the band. 'Joy' is up next and is a little more considered with an art-house angularity to the jerky riff and Whyte's impassioned vocals performance.

On 'Always The Same' the crash and thrash of the drums takes centre stage before some Faith No More-esque guitars do battle once again with that vocal style. The exotically titled 'Auto-de-Fe' is as intense as intense gets with a US rock, At The Drive-In vibe which will have audiences either cowering in fear or worshiping at the foot of the stage depending on their mental fortitude. This EP closes on 'Dead Weight', a tune which is somewhere between PJ Harvey at her most angst ridden and Hole at their most balls out and rocking. Youth Man are the first band I've heard in a long time to have picked up the mantle from those bands that brought Grunge to the masses in the 90s and have reignited the flame of intention, wit and passion. Strong, strong stuff.

More information: https://www.facebook.com/youthmanband

Live Dates:

14th May - Waterfront, Norwich w/Sleaford Mods
15th May - Basement, York
16th May - Stereo, Glasgow
20th May - The Musician, Leicester
21st May - The Railway, Winchester
27th May - Rock City Basement, Nottingham
28th May - Moles, Bath
29th May - The Leopard, Doncaster
30th May - Crauford Arms, Milton Keynes
4th June - Fruit, Hull
5th June - The Hop, Wakefield
6th June - Sugarmill, Stoke
10th June - Boilerroom, Guildford
11th June - Cavern, Exeter
12th June - Joiners, Southampton

13th June - Sticky Mike's Frog Bar, Brighton

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