SINGLE REVIEW: AVENOIR - COLUMBUS

Leeds punk rock trio unleash their second single!

For many years now, the term Grunge has become a dirty word. Associated less with the likes of Nirvana or Alice In Chains, but with acts such as Creed and 3 Doors Down. The influence of Nevermind may still be strong, but the genre itself seems to have faded away.

It is a pleasant surprise then that a teenage three piece band from Leeds have emerged with the aim of “showing the world that grunge is still alive and kicking”. It is an even better surprise when you listen to new track Columbus and previous single Leviathan and discover that not only do they wear their influences on their sleeves, but they are really bloody good at it. Columbus is an absolute rager from start to end. A track that shares as much with the heavier side of Nirvana as it does with Danzig era Misfits.

The track starts out with an eerie and atmospheric bass intro that quickly kicks into a roaring punk rock chord progression that pays homage to its inspiration whilst simultaneously bringing you kicking and screaming into 2018. Sammy Cooper’s vocals bring to mind the soft mumbles of Kurt Cobain before he unleashes into a chorus worthy of Glenn Danzig. George Space’s guitar work is minimalist and simple until a vicious breakdown after the third verse that ends up being the highlight of the entire song. The music is extremely bass heavy, yet every member knows their role and sticks within it. This is usually the moment where young punk bands get it wrong, but none of the members try to play over each other. The only criticism is that there are the moments towards the end that could benefit from some higher frequencies especially in George’s guitar work. Previous single Leviathon featured a phenomenal solo that really helped to add an extra dimension to the song and it would be great to hear more.

Ultimately Avenoir appear to be succeeding in their mission statement with their contemporary take on a much missed genre. For a band made up of three members in their mid to late teens who have only been performing together for two years, Avenoir show an incredible amount of promise and they are not a band to be ignored.