New Artist Alert: Fenrir - Live Like Royalty

Hailing from Suffolk, UK, Fenrir are a five-piece alternative rock outfit who have recently released their debut 6-track EP 'Live Like Royalty'. Produced by Oliver Craggs (Feed the Rhino) at Hidden Tracks Studios, the quintet are bringing a "punchy and impressive sound" to the UK music scene in 2013. The band will be touring over the summer in support of the new record, having recently finished a co-headline tour around the UK with Searching Alaska.

I'm eased into the EP with opener Victory Rose as bluesy lead guitar tones with a gentle delay guide the listener in. A slight rhythm is established as the track builds, with choral backing vocals marking the progression before an explosive introduction opens up with that promised 'punch'. As instrumental openers go, it's a great start to the EP and really sets the band's stall out, whilst the segue into 'Haven't You Heard' is flawless. With aggressive guitars and crystal-clear production on the drums, this is a really polished effort. The vocals take an octave leap into the chorus as the track builds in intensity, dipping again slightly for a return to the verse. The chorus is so full of guitar tracks and harmonsied vocals but it doesn't feel overly-crowded, it's a great piece of song-writing.

'The Puppeteer' opens as aggressively as its predecessors before changing tact and switching to a major-sounding picky guitar part; the rhythm section maintain solidity throughout as the guitars and vocals again open up for the chorus to really pack a musical punch.

Closing the EP is 'Confessions', maintaining the progressive energy displayed throughout the record. The track leads from an extended vocal and electric guitar intro before everything kicks in around the one minute mark. It's a strong finisher, following the tried-and-tested formula that has seen the band through so effectively on the EP; it's a fantastic debut offering and a very exciting prospect for the UK music scene as pop-punk is starting to fade away into the background making space for it's bigger, more brutal, brother and this brother pulls no punches.

The EP is available to stream on Spotify and Bandcamp where you can purchase a copy of it. 'Live Like Royalty' is also available for sale on iTunes; be sure to keep up to date with the band for info on their summer tour. You can check out the video for 'Confessions' below. Enjoy :)