Album Review: Following The Signs - Conflictions
Reviewed by Dan Barnes
Hailing from the great city of Cork in Ireland, Following the Signs are just about to drop their debut record, Conflictions and, to quote Jimmy Rabbitte, Snr from The Commitments, U2 must be shitting themselves.
Taking inspiration from the likes of Lamb of God, Slipknot and Black Sabbath and blending that sound with alternative stylings of Nu bands like Korn and Deftones and then forcing it through a sieve of some of the heaviest grooves you’re going to hear this year, and it’s little wonder Bono and the rest of ‘em will be heading for the hills.
Not wanting to do things by halves, Following the Signs have had four of Conflictions’ dozen tracks released as advanced singles. Beginning with album opener, The Day Is Mine, a pummelling introduction that lacks any form a subtlety, rather it launches directly for the jugular, clamping on and not letting go. Immediately you are party to dark heavy beats and vocalist Dan Hayes’ raw, rasping voice. The drums skip and the guitars have something of that Nu flavour that is slowly creeping into tunes again as the song heads toward an inevitable beatdown.
Second single, Exposed, is the sort of precision Modern Metal assault where nothing is off-limits. Not only is it one of the heaviest things out there but it is also one of the catchiest, with earworms aplenty throughout. Escape is the dichotomy of grinding guitars and a commercial Metalcore sound that is buried within the folds of ripping weight.
The final single is album closer, Bury Me, which is a fine example of what Following the Signs are all about: big and bouncing riffs, heavy grooves and spine-twisting rhythms. Combine that with the excoriating vocals and a killer solo, and enough flourishes as to be bordering on Jazz, and the band have chosen their introductory pieces wisely.
Conflictions is an album that revels in its sheer, blistering heaviness without ignoring the accoutrements that go to reinforce the brutality. Upon Me’s snarling vocals and slogging low end form a perfect yin/yang with the progressive lines and a Priest-like dual guitar transition from six-string slingers, Noel and Vincent. The Nu-infused stomper, Dogma is a slow and deliberate vortex of dissonance; Brainwashed combines foul-sounding strings with gunning guitar and the discordant basslines of Gloomflower finds sharp guitar interjections cutting like lingchi.
On the other hand, there is something intensely grooving about Conflictions as it offers up a host of irresistibly hook-laden riffs just created for maximum pit carnage. Falling veering at times in to the territory of Deathcore, yet is as darky contagious as a plague; Turned to Stone is what Coal Chamber might sound like if they were a Black Metal band and Alone finds bassist Rory dragging his four-strings through a post-hardcore wasteland of abrasive grooves.
My highlight comes in the shape of From the Brink which is brimming with attitude and has more bounce than Zebedee to go along with the dirty, low and rumbling old-school riff. I would wager a shiny shilling this will feature long in Following the Sign’s set.
There is a feast of top-quality releases coming from new bands at the moment, making it an exciting time to be an observer in the genre. Conflictions is another bold opening gambit from a band with seemingly a bright future. Just remember where you saw them first.
