ALBUM REVIEW: STEAL THE CITY - THE TIME WE NEEDED
Back in the early to mid 00’s before “emo” became a dirty word synonymous with cliched and manufactured bands pushed by record labels, the world was taken by storm by innovative and exciting melodic punk bands such as ‘Rise Against’, ‘Funeral For A Friend’, ‘Lost Prophets’ and ‘Reuben’. Fast forward ten years and ‘Rise Against’ are one of the only groups still standing and the influence of these acts seems to have been buried in the dirt as newer bands decided to either go heavier or just play full on pop music. For anyone lamenting the loss of these bands, cry no more as Sheffield based quartet ‘Steal The City’ have released their debut EP ‘The Time We Needed’ that will take you back in time in a 22 minute capsule of melodic punk at its best.
Packed to the brim with heavy riffs, palm muted strumming and catchy vocal hooks; the influence of bands like ‘Rise Against’ and ‘Funeral For A Friend’ are clear and although ‘Steal The City’ don’t really bring anything new to the table, they sound fresh and genuine in a way that prevents them from ever coming across as a nostalgia act. The delicious guitar tone and heavy riffs on songs like ‘Intoxicated’ and ‘Beating Heart’ are more than enough to satisfy punk fans looking for something to heavy to mosh to, whilst the clean singing and gang chanted backing vocals make sure that the music isn’t too off putting for more casual listeners. There are moments on ‘So, The Thing Is…’ where Sam Bantock’s vocals sound like early ‘Offspring’.
On paper, ‘Steal The City’ may not be groundbreaking, but there is enough variety and enthusiasm in this debut EP to warrant multiple listens and we are excited to see how this band progresses in the future.
6/10
Personal Highlight: Track 3, ‘Simon Says’ starts off with a brilliant drum fill that leads into one of the catchiest riffs on the EP. Bantock channels ‘Rise Against’ in a rousing and insanely catchy chorus. Ellis Bullement’s frantic drumming shines throughout and the rhythm section is on top form especially in the songs crushing finale.
