As a somewhat unknown quantity, PLEIADES will have many listeners going into this EP with very little idea of what to expect. LOTUS TREE is the first taste of the band, opening a broad and building soundscape that could lead in any number of directions sonically as the thundering tom sound pounds away beneath the crunchy, reverb-heavy guitar sound. Almost out of nowhere, the peace tears in two as frontman Andy Calderbank's vocals change the balance entirely. Exploding into a raw, gritty and brutal instrumental, they manage to flip all expectations on their head in an instant.
Continuing into the mellow opening of ULTRA, there are tones of Deftones-esque, 'calm before the storm' emotions that are confirmed in a similar way to the opening track. Melody rings through in the mellow, placid vocals before the all-encompassing assault on the senses breaks through for furious effect. As quickly as it comes, the fury drops seamlessly back into the calm in an analogue, one-or-other rally.
Where the first two tracks are very black and white, ALPHA, MESA and ALL AT YOUR MERCY explore the nuances of their songwriting capability. With mid-tempo rock drumbeats and huge riffs, this band can do far more than just hit hard or softly lament.
PLEIADES may not be a household name as yet, but this EP will work as a good stab at progressing down that road. With the gap left at the top of this area of music in the UK left by Casey, this could be the band to snap up that gap in the market with tunes this well-crafted so early in their career.