‘When people feel powerless, they will rarely resist’
Bastions of electronic, post- hardcore devilment, Enter Shikari once again stick their heads above the parapet, politically charged, humanity driven, this time they have welcomed Jason Aalon Butler of Fever 333 on board. Their incisive, and gritty new single ‘Losing My Grip’ is a gnarly as fuck outing, razing to the ground everything in sight. The video was filmed at Wembley Arena, and it is an almighty concoction of lights, and sound, rave inspired and hard wired. Rou Reynolds reminds me of the late Keith Flint, with his eyes all mad, yet watchful and intense. His moves are co-ordinated to the speed of the track, bouncy, incandescent with rage and ire, he jumps and jives, flexing muscles he probably didn’t know he had. That rhythmic juddering and shuddering features in many of their performances, it is seductive and overpowering with emotions.
This song is part of a collection of remixes, non-album singles and live recordings that make up the companion release ‘Dancing On The Frontline’ a surefire hit with fans as it transports the listener into another realm, away from the anxiety and insanity.
I love the multi-textured ‘The Void Stares Back’ featuring Wargasm, it has a huge chorus, easy to catch on to and shimmers like a dreamcatcher in the light. Of course, it deals with the serious message of patriarchy and how it still affects our world.
‘Strangers’ has the dulcet tones of AViVA, accentuating the age old tale of loss and how you react to losing someone close to you. A detachment and disconnect, whatever form that takes is always a source of pain and reckoning.
The album title is a lyric from ‘A Kiss For The Whole World’ the exhilarating and immobilising single, taken from an album that made us all get up and face up to how hellish our lives had become. We have the irrepressible and energetic Cody Frost featured on ‘Bull’ which underscores the already unstoppable vivacity of the band. The agonising ‘It Hurts’ is an infusion, delectable and poignant, hook it up to my veins at once!
Enter Shikari are always relevant, they answer when we are hurting and they provide a sustainable and suitable backbone of songs to keep us upright, and on track to healing and regeneration.
When your heart has been broken, it is compromised, be braced, be together and get some Shikari in you.
Azra Pathan
Enter Shikari -Losing My Grip – single
Dancing On The Frontline –album out now .