As a music fan one question constantly vexes me – why are people so endlessly afraid to break outside of their self-imposed comfort zones and listen to unsigned bands? Week after week SonicAbuse attends half-full gigs watching bands that are unsigned only by dint of not having been in the right place at the right time whilst stories abound of cover band and (worse still) tribute band gigs remaining rammed to the rafters. Is the familiar really so necessary that people will pay to see even a facsimile of it? It would seem to be so. Ironic though it is, even though the internet now allows people a greater opportunity than ever before to access music from all around the world, modern audiences seem more willing to be hemmed together than ever whilst excellent, talented and passionate bands remain under the radar.
One pertinent example would be the Constant Source of Disappointment (not, perhaps the most apt of names as the band do anything but disappoint), who recently played SonicAbuse’s home city of Leicester. As potent a metal band as you could wish for, they took to the stage like conquering heroes despite only a small audience being present and laid waste to all before them. Impressively for a band with such an intense live show, the band have captured much of what makes them so potent on ‘final insult’, an EP that bristles with metallic rage and attitude and there is no question that this is a band who deserve far greater attention than they are currently receiving.
Opening with ‘be ready’, the band offer no quarter to the shy and retiring. This is full on heavy metal with balls aplenty and it’s delivered like a dose of anthrax, tearing out of the speakers with a fury that is palpable. Singer LigZig spits out his lyrics like a hybrid of Lemmy and Matt Pike (High on fire) whilst the band deal in molten riffs and pummelling drums that leave the listener feeling punch drunk. Better still is ‘out of control’, a grinding track that prowls the room with a murderous glint in its eye and it’s easy to see that the only difference between CSOD and a major label act is simply that CSOD aren’t advertised week after week in metal magazines. With stunning production, songs that are as memorable as they are devastating and an attitude that’s all their own, CSOD should, in any rational world, be playing to a packed house, and if you don’t check out this EP immediately after reading this review, you should know that you are missing out on a hard rock gem. Offering no respite ‘Ride the storm’ is a thrash-infused beast that sees Cuffi tearing at his guitar like a man possessed. A blistering, fast-paced blast, ‘ride the storm’ is an easy EP highlight and is guaran-damn-teed to get metal fans into a froth.
The EP continues on its remorseless march with ‘no place to go’, a searing blast of molten metal complete with massive breakdown that makes you want to head-bang until your neck muscles seize up. How, how can this band remain unsigned? It’s not so much a mystery as a crime and there is no doubt in my mind that CSOD, given the resources, could easily own any stage upon which they’re placed. ‘Sexsomnia’ not only packs a powerful punch, but shows the band’s ability to utilise light and shade to powerful effect as the band move through thrash’s bold territory to the more considered pastures of Iron Maiden. There’s depth in the song-writing here and it helps to set the band apart from those who just keep the pedal to the metal from start to finish, whilst the closing refrain is brutally explosive. The band close out their EP with ‘game over’, a slamming cut that sees LigZig gargling acid as his band slash and burn all before them. It’s a devastating climax to an EP that does not once disappoint, and it showcases a band capable of standing toe-to-toe with any number of big name pretenders.
For me the most important thing in any band is passion. You can feel it when a band put their collective heart and soul into a record and CSOD do exactly that. With only six tracks, CSOD demonstrate an ability and a passion that is second to none and if that doesn’t pique your interest then you’re very possibly reading the wrong web page. It is hard, I know, to see the wood for the trees sometimes, and it is easy to overlook great bands simply because there are currently so many out there, but if music fans don’t take more responsibility in going to local shows then we’re going to see amazing acts like CSOD die out for lack of support. The more I hear and see in the underground scene the more I am convinced that this is where the music I want to hear is. Unfettered by corporate restraint, unafraid of challenging norms and played by musicians who have no ulterior motive other than playing the music they love, this is what musicians, tired of being denigrated by the very industry that was supposed to support them, dreamed of. ‘Final Insult’ is an awesome EP. The band are tight, the production devastating and the songs – devilish works of genius. If you check out just one unsigned band this year, make it Constant Source of Disappointment, your record collection will love you for it.
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