Introducing This is Colour
This is Colour
Words by Ian Dickinson
I stumbled across This Is Colour (TIC) through my unashamed addiction to everything that is put out by Thirty Days of Night (TDON) records. In my opinion the finest label in the UK. After seeing that TDON were taking pre-orders for this new band TIC, I did what all good music fans do these days; I went straight to Myspace. The first thing that attracted me to TIC was in the ‘About’ section on Myspace, which is commonly filled with some dreary narcissistic essay on the history of the band, how wonderful they are and who they have played with blah blah blah. But TIC’s merely reads: “We’re This Is Colour and we like to play shows & hang out!” No bullshit, simple, honest and to the point, this is my kind of band.
After listening to a couple of their tracks I was convinced and went directly to the TDON website to pre-order my copy of the Bury St. Edmunds Thrash Metals lad’s debut album; No Brainer. After a couple of months the day finally came and my copy of No Brainer arrived and what a day it was. screw birthdays, anniversaries, weddings; the day you find a band that truly has an impact on you, that is a day worth remembering!
I am man enough to admit that I am superficial, I adore vibrant, bold designs and anything that looks cool basically. The aesthetic of the band is certainly cool, everything from the Myspace page design, to the gruesomely colourful t-shirts are outlandishly awesome. The album artwork is know different and is reminiscent of the classic Skate/Thrash era with mutant zombie tongue planted firmly in a slimy skeleton cheek. It reminds me fondly of being in skates shops as a kid and looking at all the posters and deck art. All the classic Thrash elements are incorporated, mutant skeletons, hazardous waste, skate boards, surf boards and obviously beer! What more can anyone ask for? On the surface all these stereotypical elements of Thrash Metal could misguide people into believing that TIC are merely rehashing a formula which has been done a million times before. This would be a serious misjudgement.
This is not your run of the mill Thrash Metal. The tracks are complex, interesting, fast, energetic and unpredictable. Although I keep mentioning Thrash Metal, there is a great deal going on in the music which can appeal to a number of listeners. I would (and have) recommended this band to fans of Punk, Folk, Metal, Emo and Hardcore. There really is something here for everyone to enjoy. The quirkiness of the tracks and the belligerent disregard for the rules of any genre is reminiscent of Faith No More at times. The great thing with this band is that you just can’t get bored with their tracks and so I have heard their gigs are completely off the hook!
As a man that suffers from Attention-Deficit Disorder I seriously rate any band that can hold my interest and keep me engaged for more than 3 tracks. TIC has achieved this. I find it hard to stop listening due to a combination of old school head banging and the fear of missing anything. For me this album came as a much needed breathe of fresh air as at the time I had become entombed in the morbid and intense world of Hardcore acts such as This Is Hell, Dead Swans & Leathermouth (all brilliant bands by the way). TIC came along and made me realise that you can be hard, rapid, and aggressive whilst remaining fun and positive. You know that you are on to a winner, when after just one listen you text all the appropriate people in your phone book with a message along the lines of: “check out This Is Colour, No Brainer. F ing awesome mate, trust me!” Most of the replies I received were in agreement and a number of the replies claimed that this would be their summer 2009 album, which is understandable as the sound TIC create demands that you get up and move in what ever fashion you deem appropriate (my personally favourite is a cross between slam dancing and the funky chicken). The vocals are unrelenting and the throat shredding style is juxtaposed perfectly with the 80s’esque power ballad guitar solos, which make you just want to get out with your mates and party hard all night!
TIC posses originality and an ability to create complex music, two attributes that are not generally associated with Thrash Metal bands. SSS and Municipal Waste have been at the forefront of the recent Thrash Metal resurgence, bringing it back from the deep dark depths of a beer fuelled zombie holocaust, and now This Is Colour are here to lead the new wave of Thrash Metal and I couldn’t be happier! So get yourself a copy of No Brainer, get your mates together; grab some beers and ‘Stay Rad!’
Check out:
Thirty Days of Night Records - http://thirtydaysofnightrecords.bigcartel.com/
This Is Colour - www.myspace.com/thisiscolour
