DeepShade – Time (2016)

Full of energy and head-bangingly addictive, Wigan rockers DeepShade released their latest single, ‘Time’, early last month. Although it’s often considered difficult to resurrect genres lost to the older generations, this record perfectly and unapologetically articulates the vintage sound of alternative rock from the start of the ‘90s.

You can picture the meandering bass notes, crashing drum fills and, like a grittier Pearl Jam, mesmerisingly distorted vocals reverberating within the underground venue – although let it be said that Eddie Vedder’s vocal range and lyrical intelligence can’t be matched. Nevertheless, the latter detracts nothing from the overall killer bite of the song with a thrashing riff, screaming guitar licks and tight production providing ‘Time’ with its distinctive edge.

As the opening track from the 2015 debut album Everything Popular is Wrong, ‘Time’ is certainly intended to establish DeepShade’s trademark sound. Yet it goes much further; it doesn’t just recycle everything that’s come before it in the alt-rock world and verses of spectral vocals are more reminiscent of stoner-rock and Ozzy’s ascension to the dizzy heights of Black Sabbath.

The trio are completely rebranding the modern genre and, through ‘Time’, can definitely reconnect with the old rockers in us who have lost faith in the emergence and popularity of hardcore.