Time for a little bit of a rant. Okay bands, by all means get one of your mates who happens to also write for a webzine to write your biog/press release. But when the biog is so undulant in its praise it sets you up for a massive fall. The accompanying statement claims Cotheria are “an outstanding band, wise beyond years…the breath of fresh air loyal metal fans have been waiting for.” Perhaps its just me, being the massive cynic that I am, but in my experience it is this kind of rodomontade that exemplifies a band that can talk big, but don’t have the talent to back up their claims.
Right, before I get carried away with things… as a loyal metal fan, I’m not quite sure this is what I have been waiting for, but then, its all relative. I have long since abandoned the local metal scene where I live, with the exception of venturing out down the pub to support a friends band every now and then. These ephemeral glimpses at the local scene today has been enough to tell me I’m really not missing out on very much. Youngsters hungry for a taste of real metal are force-fed a bland diet of deathcore-by-numbers, Machine Head clones and whatever crap is dished out by the floppy haired buffoons swimming in crocodile tears shed because the singers girlfriend of two weeks dumped him for another emo chick…and these kids have two choices; to consume this drivel cause it gives them a chance to see live bands, be part of the scene, etc…or sit at home complaining there is nowt [sic] to do. So to get to my destination here, had I gone down the local watering hole for three consecutive Saturday nights, and in that time, watched 9, maybe 10, bands chugging mindlessly, struggling to keep together, shouting into a mic trying to come across all br00tal, and playing that brand of unsigned-metal-by-numbers (you know the one) that we put up with and pretend is the mutts nuts ‘cos it’s local, innit, then to hear, or see, Cotheria…would be a breath of fresh air in a stale, musty environment.
Having supported such heavyweights as Johnny Truant and Skindred, you can get an idea what school of thought these Yorkshirites are coming from. Their sound is hardly original, yet it does have a freshness about it which perhaps comes across simply as they play the style exceptionally well. Opening track ‘Pendulum’ has a certain elegance to it, with its smooth, flowing melody… and that is what really gives them the edge over the competition, so to speak. Their melodies set them apart from the tuneless metalcore that permeates the mainstream. The guitars are heavy and there’s a great bassline that has a chilled out kinda feel to it. The growled vocals are thrown in amongst the main style which is clean and emotive, yet they sound warm as opposed to the namby-pamby whining that would usually have me running for the nearest exit.
I must say the cover is quite misleading; the packaging is rather plush and the band has clearly put a lot of effort into it, but there is quite a gothic appeal with the logo and the design that just had me initially expecting a band lead by a black lace and eyeliner wearing member of the fairer sex flexing her operatic vocal chords. One of these days I will learn not to judge a record by its cover…
http://www.myspace.com/Cotheria
http://www.cotheria.com
