Be fierce or be dead. Or both. Pushing the songwriting and the sonics, The Fierce & The Dead try and test the untried and untested.

MOVING (QUITE) SWIFTLY ON

Existing in the outer Prog regions, close but not touching (much), where the likes of The Pineapple Thief and Godsticks loiter with intent, The Fierce And The Dead (forever to be known as TFATD) push further into alternative and noise rock territory. A sure sign of retaining the experimental spirit that has defined their career.

Following up 2023’s News From The Invisible World, the lyrical direction of Regional Theatre focusses mainly on communication, and how in a world where we have more access then ever, we still struggle with human interaction. Sound familiar? It finds Kevin Feazey making it to a second album as lead vocalist while there’s a debut for keyboard player, percussionist and backing vocalist Tom Hunt (also of Orange Clocks). Having recently witnessed guitarist Matt Stevens test out what happens when you wring the neck of a Les Paul (literally) in Tim Bowness’ Butterfly Mind band, you know that the reins are very likely to be off and ‘noise’ turned to eleven.

Musically, Regional Theatre draws on a perverse yet intentional diversity of influences from post-rock, alternative metal and shoegaze to psychedelic rock, extreme metal, pop and experimental music. And then some. At the core, a combo of heavy riffs, ambitious arrangements, analogue electronics and vocal hooks.

WHAT DOES THIS BUTTON DO?

TFATD remain a band who you feel are permanently asking ‘what does this button do?’ Embracing progressive as in embracing unpredictability and ‘moving forward’ and some light years from the stereotypical capes and goblins. And never – ever – standing in one place for more than it takes to finish the song. At the core, the abusive relationship between Matt Stevens and his guitar.

One might constantly ponder whether such as The 1234 gets its title from the count in – going for the obvious, hiding in plain sight type of approach. Defiantly veering outside the box, a band who is untethered from the off, rips into some filthy bucking riffs on Loungeside which come tempered with a whiff of menace in the ether. Rhythms and time signatures are twisted, dynamics shifting between extremes into stop-start, creeping and stomping, Muse-y stadium filling areas. If only.

Where Somehow gets all radio friendly in an ‘matey Grohl’ sorta way, Hey Nightmare finds some Lemmy vibes channelled; kicking and screaming, the tempos and punky growling – “How many wishes do I get?” – unmistakably tribute-y. Maybe and all contained within a pleasing 2:22 rush. An album where you’re as likely to pick up the influence of Lennon/McCartney or Morrissey/Marr as Fripp and Eno.

MONSTROUS

Superbia – great title – balances the sparse and tender with the aggressive and a jaunty bounce. Someone might have been listening to David Byrne, but doesn’t let the thought of the angular moments stick around. Just in case, Matt lets loose with something monstrous to shake the reverie. A mentality that does hang around, with a literal ‘take that‘ thump n the guys in a Dream Sequence intro that’s deliberately more nightmare. A growling bass all part of the confusion, that gets parked for a celestial wash.

“Let’s dig for gold, let’s start a band,” croons Feazey hopefully before another thick injection of Metal, a squealer of a solo and a rather tasty hook in the chorus of Hypernormalisation. And as if we’re being rewarded for getting so far, the gentleness of the closing Signal Bleed comes as an unanticipated avenue of calm. Quite clever though; maybe a track that has the listener craving more of the drug that’s fed the previous half hour.

The twists and turns and general air of restlessness might turn off some, the fact is, it remains the strength of Regional Theatre; the significance of the title still escaping us – but that may be the point. As Matt Stevens has said: “It’s important to keep moving sonically and trying new things, that’s what makes us excited and hopefully you can hear that on the record.” Mission accomplished? I’d say so.

Here’s Shake Hands And Exit:

The Fierce And The Dead: Website

At The Barrier: Facebook / X / Instagram