Lock And Key - No Fate

One of the heaviest bands on the Deep Elm roster at the moment, this debut EP from Lock And Key sounds like a taster of better things to come, especially as the band are already at work on their full length debut for the label. But for fans of hardcore or the more intense end of indie rock, then this is great listen. Post hardcore is perhaps technically not the hardest style of music to play; provided you can keep in time you don’t need to have the intricacies that a quieter band is forced to use to deal with, but there is certainly something that can lift a hardcore band out from the ordinary. There is undoubtedly a factor that separates a brilliant band like Hot Water Music from an average one. I think it is probably a combination of sincerity and energy, and the imagination to do something different within a genre that sometimes tends towards the predictable. Whatever the missing ingredient may be, Lock And Key have it. From the word go, the band makes you want to flail madly around the room like a demented punk, such is the energy they create. The album kicks off with a burst of static as guitars are plugged into amps, and the guitars kick off with a cccc-runch and we’re away, an intense burst of sound feeds into the throaty rasp of Ryan Shanahan. But this isn’t just an exercise in showing a tough, rocking style, each of these songs has a good structure, plenty of diversity and each let the listener know that the band really cares about making an interesting record. After the initial impact of the songs has left, there is plenty more of interest on later songs. Like all the best records, there are things you notice only after you’ve given the album a few plays and know what to listen for…. I think the band has better music in them, (just look at the progression Hot Water Music have made on their last two albums, or the great leap forward At The Drive In made with 'Relationship Of Command', or the twists and turns that Fugazi’s career has taken since 13 Songs) but there is enough energy and a quality of songwriting worthy of giving this debut release a thorough listen. Evidence that there is life in the punk scene for years to come!