Under the dominion of a rising phoenix, State Of You were thrown together when the bands Polar, Outcry Collective, Hildamay, amongst others, concluded their journey in this industry.
The line up consisting of Ollie Jeffs – guitar, Rick Keenan – bass, Max O’ Neil – guitar, Nick Jones – drums and Steve Sitkowski leading the charge on vocals have enough experience under their belts to give them a firm grounding for the future.
This fire-breathing EP puts you on a knife edge and keeps you there, they watch as the panic sets in, they see you flounder, they see you flail, yet they do nothing to help you. The joy of the songs lies in their very scathing and fearsome execution. Unafraid, they sit in paradoxical judgement, as their rage is transferred to our ears, we bleed, they succeed in their dominance. The band are fully aware of their own frailties and foibles, which makes this record all the more useful and relatable. We see ourselves in the videos, we hear our voices as we move through the tracks. With their fingers on the pulse of current issues and life stresses and strains, they punch and kick their way through the scene. Arguably a record that speaks the truth, it has found its way through the murk and will quite happily wait until you take notice. The single ‘Under The Wire’ reminds me of the recent Massive Wagons song ‘Night Skies’ and also the aural and visual splendour of Mathcore mavericks Suplex, providing density and dexterity, at a time when we doubt everything and we suspect everything. The raging toxicity of our existence is enough to drive anyone to drink, but when you assign yourself to ‘Which Way The Water Flows’ you will find an understanding and a possible way out.
I’ll leave you with a little composition of my own.
I’ll cut the rope
So you can get in the ring,
Kill the canary before it sings.
When you’re under the wire
A double barrelled gun for hire,
We weren’t two of a kind
My life undermined,
On demand is what you know
I’ll go which way the water flows.
From the edge of your seat
To the edge of a knife,
Flick of the wrist
It’s the edge of your life.
Azra Pathan
State Of You – On A Knife’s Edge out now.