Enter Shikari - Common Dreads

Common Dreads is the second full length album by post hardcore British mob Enter Shikari. The album itself boasts a huge new chapter in Enter Shikari's short, but certainly fruitful, career. Here's a very detailed, over view of the album that propelled Enter Shikari to super stardom.

Opening track "Common Dreads" sets the tone of the whole album. Political vibes from the opening song ring throughout this entire album, and the chant of a dozen different languages repeating the phrase "We must unite" set the no no nonsense, political bar very high. Singer Rou Reynolds phrase sung at the end of the song runs freely into the listeners mind, and is strong enough to close the album there and then. With Rou's haunting opener over with, it's time for the rest of the band to show their colours. And they do. Oh, they do.

Second track "Solidarity" doesn't allow the listener to breathe, not for a second, and a swarm of synth flies freely. Then the rest of the band kick in, and a heavy drum beat followed by a strong bass pattern gives Common Dreads the musical kick that this album craves for. Rou's voice and lyrics are so powerful, that listening to the album without any accompanying music would have still made it strong. However, when Rob's drum beat, Chris' bass groove and Rory's guitar riff is as powerful as showcased in "Solidarity", you can see why Rou is not just a solo act, and that Enter Shikari are not just a one trick pony

"Step Up" follows immediately after with a synth bridge. This song strongly shows Shikari's political awareness, and with lyrics as powerful as
"Sometimes I do wish apples were our currency, so the hoarded millions would rot in their vault" you can instantly see that this album wasn't a quick creative scrape around to get a quick release. The synth bridge in this is one that will have you bobbing your head, or bouncing around your bedroom. Either way, it's one hell of a bridge

Colossal hit "Juggernauts" steps up to the plate, and although the song is about a giant Tesco's being built in the bands home town of St Albans, the tone to this song is like a beam of sunshine on a very bleak and dark tone set earlier. Everything from Rou's chants of "crushing all in it's path" to Rob's drum beat is perfect in this song. It may not bear the screams of earlier songs, or the heavy beats of songs yet to be reviewed, but the song puts a smile on the listeners face, and you can't help but feel a warmth inside when the acoustic conclusion marks the end of the song

"Wall" is probably one of the weaker songs on the album. The song itself is quite dull, and it feels like it was just thrown in their to bridge "Juggernauts" to next song "Zzzonked" now, don't get my wrong, it's still a great song. It just feels almost out of place, maybe if it was put in later in the album it would have fitted better than what it does, but initial reactions make the song stick out like a sore thumb, for the wrong reasons.

"Zzzonked" is a song that you wouldn't want to listen to with a headache. Rou's screaming vocals and a heavy dubstep beat are enough to make you take a couple of Nurofen and hope your ear drums are strong enough to take this music onslaught. The song is the heaviest on the album and, when the song reaches it's climax, a barrage of drums, synth, bass and guitar batter your mind, and simply leave you either
A. Astounded.
B. Petrified to continue with the rest of the album.
"Zzzonked" is made for the die hard Shikari fan, and should not be taken for granted.

 Next in proceedings is part one of the "Havoc" duo. "Havoc A" is, a light dubstep song with not much going on for itself. The song seems quite laid back and Rou's vocals towards the end seem almost lazy. But it's a suitable way to bridge "Zzzonked" with "No Sleep Tonight" and works quite well.

"No Sleep Tonight" was another giant hit off of Common Dreads. Again, the song is very similar to "Juggernauts" as it gives the listener a smile and has an almost pop like tone to it. The vocals are very anthem like, and a chant of "You're not, getting any sleep tonight" rings through the listeners head for quite a long time. A brass fanfare marks the end of the song, and by going up an octave, the song almost turns into a celebration of sorts. A great song, with a giant political message.

Hidden gem "Gap in the Fence" allows the listener to sit back and relax. Mainly acoustic, the song is a sigh of relief in an album full of crushing beats. The ending "Woah's" suit the song perfectly, and although many Shikari fans may view the song as quite weak, it's a perfect way to re cooperate after the oral onslaught from the first 8 songs.

Part two of the "Havoc" series follows, and is a lot better than it's predecessor "Havoc A". A LOT better. "Havoc B" boasts a heavy dubstep beat, and Rou's screams send shivers down the listeners spine. Chris's bass line in the song is strong, and doesn't let the listener loose for a second. Rob's snare hits are snarling, and feel like a punch in the gut. The ending chant of "Shut down the war machine" again show Shikari's political stance, and show that this is a band who aren't afraid to show their true colours.

"Antwerpen" is predominantly,  a guitar based song. Without Rory's guitar riff towards the end of the song, it would feel like quite an unnecessary song in the album. However, the song works beautifully thanks to the guitar, and the bridge midway is one of the better musical parts on Common Dreads. Rou's vocals are slightly cleaner than most of the other songs, but this doesn't  make them any less aggressive, and by the use of questions used within the song, the band create a strong bond between band and listener.

Next up is "The Jester". This song is one of the golden moments on Common Dreads. Although starting as a very quiet and flute based piece, a scream from Rou (which the listener is by far accustomed too by now) kick starts the dark and twisted song. The background screams to the line "throw it up" sound almost tortured, and paints an eerie vibe in the listeners mind. There is but one let down to this song, and that's an epic build up that falls flat, and returns to a dead basic beat. However, with this aside, "The Jester" is a warped piece of music, one that defines Common Dreads to a tee.

"Hectic" has the potential to be a club smash. The dance breakdown half way through the song is enough to get anyone moving, and the repetition of the chorus is planted firmly in the listeners head. Rou's spoken word verse creates an intimate portrait for the listener, and reminds you that Enter Shikari are still a bunch of young, fun loving guys. Although Common Dreads is a politically based album, this song is just purely for fun, and its a light relief for the listener.

Album closer "Fanfare for the Concious Man" is by far the most politically based song on the album. It takes the bar set earlier by "Common Dreads", snaps it in two, and replaces it several notches higher. Rou's shout of "Our gracious Queen should cross the crown, and take a good fucking swing at Blair and Brown" leaves a bitter taste in the listeners mouth, but for all the right reasons. The chanting chorus is also a great sing-a-long anthem, and closes the album with a sense of unity between fan and band.

Overall, Common Dreads sets the bar high for Enter Shikari. Whether it be heavy dub breakdowns, screams of political banter, or just plain fun songs, at least one song on this album will touch a listeners heart. If you like aggression, "Zzzonked" is the track for you. If you like pop tinged anthems, you'll love "No Sleep Tonight". There really is something for everyone. Let's hope the next album is just as good as Common Dreads, and causes a Fucking Havoc!

Enter Shikari - Preston 53 Degrees

Enter Shikari. An acquired taste too say the least. Some people think you've got to be some kind of a mentalist too listen too them, others think the hardcore lads are the best thing since sliced bread. Whatever you think of Enter Shikari, their live shows are second to none.

The atmosphere outside the venue before doors have even opened is electric. With chants of Aqua's infamous "Barbie Girl" and the theme tune from Family Guy and Spongebob Squarepants being sung up and down the que, everyone is in high spirits for tonight's performance. When doors finally open, people scramble to get their place at front barrier. Security guards wait at the wings, more than likely knowing that after the two support acts, all hell will break loose on their part.

First to the stage is punk mob Tyler Mae. Their unique blend of synth/dub beats with sheer punk rock aggression sets the crowd off with the first circle pits of the night. Vocalist Matt Lafferty spends more time at crowd level than on the stage. The band are certainly a great choice to open for the likes of Shikari, and when the audience start chanting back the chorus of "Socialite", the band know that they've done their job well.

The King Blues are next up, and although their ever growing fame means they could probably headline the 53 Degrees themselves, they remain close friends with Enter Shikari, and look more than happy to be opening for them at the 1,500 capacity club. New song "Holiday" and fast growing hit "Headbutt" go down a storm with the crowd, and the cemented hits such as "My Boulder" and "I Got Love" ring around the club, and Johnny Fox dives into the crowd without a second thought. Again, The King Blues have not only the hits, but the potential to headline this venue by themselves. Almost every member of the audience knows each and every song like the back of their hand, one crowd member even declares his love for Johnny at one point, but The King Blues know that this isn't their show, and in about 45 minutes, the headline act will tear through 53 Degrees like it's just another day in the office.

The sound man for Shikari sparks a bit of excitement when he starts playing the intro to mammoth hit "Juggernauts" on Rou Reynold's equipment. Other than that, the crowd waits eagerly for the British mentalists to step to the stage. To give some representation on how big Enter Shikari are, the backdrop for the show was too big for the stage, and as Chris Batten declares later that night, for one night only, Enter Shikari are known simply as "Enter". The lights dim on the smoky stage and the screams of a sold out crowd echo across the room. Opening track "Common Dreads" plays out. All goes silent, and the man of the hour takes to the stage. Rou screams the first lyrics of the night like they're his last. And the words are enough to give everyone in the room goosebumps. Opening synth to "Solidarity" bounce around the walls, and the rest of the band dive onto the stage and blast into the main beat. Enter Shikari have a live energy that simply cannot be matched. Rory C's guitar trickery wow's the audience, Chris' stage antics are insane, and at one point he trips and face plants the wooden stage, resulting in a sympathetic cry of "awww" from the audience. Drummer Rob plays like there's no tomorrow, and songs like "Zzzonked" and "Return to Energizer" sound incredible thanks to the sticksman. Rou is, as per usual, on full form tonight, diving into the audience five minutes into the set and screaming the lyrics to firm fan favourites such as "Kickin' Back On the Surface of Your Cheek" and "The Feast". Crowd participation is incredible tonight, and the crowd surfers don''t stop all night. The sheer insanity of Shikari's live show is beyond brutal, and when the band pauses for breath with acoustic jam "Gap in the Fence", the audience calms down. But this really is just the eye of the storm, and new song "Destabilise" follows. The song showcases Shikari's dubstep hearts, and the breakdown is, simply put, incredible. The encore tonight comes in the form of Enter Shikari's two biggest hits, namely "Sorry You're Not A Winner" and "Juggernauts". The infamous "clap clap clap" in Sorry You're Not... runs around the room, and sounds incredible when this sheer amount of people do it in unison. "Juggernauts" main synth riff shows an almost pop genre to Enter Shikari, but still remains a firm fan favourite. The dubstep remix halfway through maybe doesn't work as well as intended, but as a set closer, it's still absolutely incredible. All in all, everything from the setlist to the bands energy astound the audience tonight. And when a ticket leaves you only £10 out of pocket, you really cannot go wrong. Here's to the next album, and above all, the next tour