Shaven Primates are a 5-piece band from Oxford, UK, formed in 2017 and inspired by artists like the Velvet Underground, Kate Bush, Tool, Prodigy, Yes, Clash, Bowie, Porcupine Tree, and Pink Floyd.
The band stated about this new work: "For this EP, we went with a more gritty sound to create something that simply exudes raw energy. The general subject matter is on "desire", as opposed to previous albums "Birds Aren't Real" (click here for the review) which covered alternative thinking, and "Child Of Dirt" which covered childhood trauma and addiction. We're not one to pull any punches!"
Chasing The Dragon comprises 3 songs for 12 minutes of music. Airwaves opens with a melodic intro, becoming fast (almost NWOBHM!) and contagious, with a cool solo section, great vocals (and backing!), fantastic riffs and super dynamic drumming. I love the track, and it's a great start. The second track Babooshka is very theatrical and could be part of a musical, with eclectic vocals, very interesting bass lines, and some superb solos towards the end of the song. The last track, I'll Quit Tomorrow is again very different, still theatrical but more indie rock in the spirit (at least, to my ears), with an amazing rhythm section and a great arrangement, with some Queen vibes towards the end.
Chasing The Dragon is a super interesting EP, very eclectic and the band's performance is absolutely spot on. It's hard to label it under one genre (but even two or three), so I totally recommend listening to it, you won't regret it. I think it will stay in my personal heavy rotation for a while! Give it a go by clicking on the Spotify player below and remember to follow Shaven Primates on social media.
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