The 8th Bridge – Twist The Knife (2013)
A relatively new heavy rock band, The 8th Bridge have released only one EP since their formation. Despite that, their EP feels as if it could have been released by a much more experienced foursome. The beats and lyrics feel fresh, and sound as if they could be played over and over again on the radio. The 8th Bridge released Twist the Knife in April of 2013, but have yet to really make even the smallest splash in the music world. With the band still playing at ‘battle of the bands’ competitions and with their official Facebook page having only 139 likes, it’s hard to believe that their EP is actually good. On second listen, it’s even great.
Twist the Knife is relatively short, clocking it at only a little more than 24 minutes, but the time is well spent. ‘Another One Down’ sets it off with a killer guitar intro for the first part of the song before frontman and vocalist Sean Williams steps in. Williams’ voice is pleasant, deep and raspy, and he can scream; but it pales in comparison to the incredible rock and drums played in the background. ‘Another One Down’ is a decent opener, but sounds as if it could have used a bit more polishing, especially with the vocals.
‘Nowhere Fast’ starts up immediately and at first listen, is obviously more catchy and listenable. Williams’ declaration that ‘tears will get you nowhere’ with the backing chant of ‘nowhere fast!’ makes the song incredibly catchy and fun. Played by Williams on rhythm guitar, Danny Willicombe on lead guitar, Ben Sainty on bass, and Gareth Rees on drums, the beat is the real stunner in ‘Nowhere Fast’.
‘Hard to Breathe’ comes next. In the first verse, it seems as if Williams has polished up his vocals and the first verse is sung beautifully. By the end of the song, he’s reverted to screaming. It’s grating and unpleasant and casts a shadow over the rest of the song. Despite that, ‘Hard to Breathe’ is surprisingly catchy. Presumably the band’s namesake, ‘The 8th Bridge’ comes next. It’s easily the best off Twist the Knife with a mellower beat and vocals. The vocals throughout the whole song are much better and more listenable, with especially strong lyrics.
‘Killed’ is already the second to last on the EP and it’s a good song, but nothing particularly special. As with the previous tracks, the vocals need some work but the guitar riffs are incredible. It’s a shame it lies between ‘Hard to Breathe’ and ‘Cops!’, arguably the best two songs on the album, because it makes Killed feel like nothing more than filler. ‘Cops!’, the last song on the album, is the real standout on Twist the Knife. It can be difficult to create a story just through lyrics, but The 8th Bridge make it work, as Williams sings a story of becoming a murderer – until the cops come, of course. Twist the Knife has its ups and downs, but ending on ‘Cops!’ makes the listeners want more.
The 8th Bridge still has some polishing and growing up to do, and rock fans should look forward to them doing just that. Even on their first EP, it’s clear this band has serious potential.
By: Lisa Severini
