ELEPHANTINE

I’m not normally one to judge a book by it’s cover, but after viewing the most recent press shots for this Brummie trio I was half expecting a twee Dickensian throwback affair and hit the play button with a weary sigh. Boy oh boy was I wrong! ‘Abreast’ kicks off with an almighty balls to the wall riff, unhinged vocals and drums loud enough to knock me out of my seat.

Elephantine wear their influences on their sleeves, having taken the swagger of classic rock & roll and the ferocity of proto punk and hardcore from a dirty DC basement, meshed it all together with a manic energy akin to their contemporaries Pins, Pulled Apart By Horses, and Dinosaur Pile up, and created a scuzzy yet glamorous sound unique unto themselves.

To create something so raw and intimate, that carries itself with such grandeur is an achievement sure to grab this young band a lot of attention in 2014. They’re bringing some much needed bite back into the scene in a bold, brutal, beautiful way.

Words by David McDonald

Tipped by Tom Cotton from Amazing Radio and  Rob Platts