Godsticks present their second single and video “Surrender from Inescapable their new and most accomplished album to date.
Godsticks’ Darran Charles divulges his inspiration for the song “I suppose Surrender is a lyrical re-enactment of conversations I’ve had with myself about not surrendering to the obsessive and controlling parts of my personality. I used to believe that my obsession to ‘achieve’ at all costs was both the key to success and the fuel for ambition but as the years went by, I found that I’d become so focused on achieving goals that I forgot the reasons I’d set them. A good example of this is playing live: I used to be so obsessed with being able to perform a perfect rendition of every song each night, that I forgot to be in the moment and enjoy the experience.
Eventually I realised I wasn’t enjoying anything and found myself belittling accomplishments, big or small. Even though I wanted to change, deep down there was this fear that if I diluted these strong aspects of my persona then I’d lose the drive and focus to improve. Over time I’ve learnt to control the obsession as much as possible by accepting that if I continue to work hard then it is ok to enjoy the fruits of my labour. This ongoing process of learning how to appreciate achievements and realising how lucky I am to be able to write songs that people might want to hear, has allowed me to enjoy music and therefore life. It is an ongoing challenge to reconcile those contrasting parts of my being, and in that sense the music of ‘Surrender’ is quite representative of me in that it’s in equal measure dark and uplifting!”
Godsticks’ mix of heavy rock, progressive and alternative metal with a dynamic range of angular riffs and emotional depth will leave listeners reeling and with Inescapable, the band have channelled their energy and technical ability into the melody, phrasing and vocal performance, allowing emotion to take centre stage.
The band found themselves wanting a definitive theme running through Inescapable, without turning it into a concept album, of being more open, more personal and ultimately one that shines an inquisitive light on Charles’s struggle with inner demons which gave the songs a new level of intimacy. “Lyrically, I’ve always shared personal thoughts, feelings and experiences but in a very ambiguous way. For Inescapable – in a conscious effort not to repeat ourselves – I thought I’d be a little more self-reflective and perhaps examine some of my inner demons. I have a strange relationship with music, and especially playing guitar. I would struggle to survive without either, but equally they have made my life mentally torturous because my own self-worth is completely wrapped up in them. I used to be very much a perfectionist in my early years, and whilst some people may wear that as a badge of honour, I eventually viewed it as huge heavy weight dragging down. It was a long time before I arrived at the realisation that perfection was impossible to achieve.” elaborates Darran Charles.
Inescapable was produced by James Loughrey (Skindred) and recorded at the famed heritage Monnow Valley studio.
Godsticks are supporting the new material beginning in April with a UK tour followed by summer festivals.
2/4/2020 – Cardiff – Fuel Rock Club
3/4/2020 – London – Black Heart
4/4/2020 – Edinburgh – Opium
5/4/2020 – Manchester – Gullivers
Inescapable will be released on CD, LP & digitally on 7th February through Kscope and is available to PRE-ORDER HERE NOW (“Denigrate” is available as an instant download on digital pre-orders – “Surrender” will be available on 31st January)
Band reveal first single and video for “Denigrate” (feat. Daniel Tompkins)
Godsticks open 2020 with their new and most accomplished studio album, Inescapable. Their mix of heavy rock, progressive and alternative metal with a dynamic range of angular riffs and emotional depth will leave listeners reeling. The band’s sound has refined over their releases on Kscope, beginning with the technically astounding metal on Emergence to the more industrial and progressive-influenced Faced With Rage. Now, with Inescapable, the band have channeled their energy and technical ability into the melody, phrasing and vocal performance, allowing emotion to take center stage.
The band found themselves wanting a definitive theme running through Inescapable, without turning it into a concept album, of being more open, more personal and ultimately one that shines an inquisitive light on Charles’s struggle with inner demons which gave the songs a new level of intimacy. “Lyrically, I’ve always shared personal thoughts, feelings, and experiences but in a very ambiguous way. For Inescapable – in a conscious effort not to repeat ourselves – I thought I’d be a little more self-reflective and perhaps examine some of my inner demons. I have a strange relationship with music, and especially playing guitar. I would struggle to survive without either, but equally, they have made my life mentally torturous because my own self-worth is completely wrapped up in them. I used to be very much a perfectionist in my early years, and whilst some people may wear that as a badge of honor, I eventually viewed it as a huge heavyweight dragging down. It was a long time before I arrived at the realization that perfection was impossible to achieve.” elaborates Darran Charles.
Perfectly highlighting the album’s leitmotif, the band reveals their first single “Denigrate”, “the writing of this song was a sort of analysis of my ongoing battle with perfectionism and the general feeling that nothing you do ever meets the impossibly high standards you set for yourself”. The song features additional vocals from TesseracT’s gifted vocalist Daniel Tompkins to record vocal harmonies, adding an extra layer of aggression and energy.
The shoot for the quirky video, directed by George Laycock (Blacktide Audio/Visual) proved to be a memorable day for the band as Godsticks drummer Tom Price recalls “Everyone in the band was so excited about the concept, but when we arrived on set and saw a large table full of cakes, sweets, chocolate, sugar, sprinkles, honey and all manners of confectionary, the magnitude of what we had all let ourselves in for finally dawned on us! By the end of the shoot we were completely covered in everything – it was like ‘The Great British Bake Off’ meets ‘Apocalypse Now’! It was so much fun to make, but despite several spins in the washing machine I still can‘t get that sweet sickly smell out of my jeans!” Charles chimes in “It wasn’t fun, it was horrible!”
Inescapable was produced by James Loughrey (Skindred) and recorded at the famed heritage Monnow Valley studio.
Godsticks are supporting the new material beginning in April with a UK tour followed by summer festivals
2/4/2020 – Cardiff – Fuel Rock Club 3/4/2020 – London – Black Heart 4/4/2020 – Edinburgh – Opium 5/4/2020 – Manchester – Gullivers
Inescapable will be released on CD, LP & digitally. (“Denigrate is available as an instant download on digital pre-orders) on 7th February through Kscope and is available to PRE-ORDER HERE NOW
Godsticks are: Darran Charles: Vocals, guitars, keys, synths Dan Nelson: Bass Gavin Bushell: Guitars Tom Price: Drums Backing vocals on ‘Denigrate’ – Daniel Tompkins
The latest album from Welsh proggers Godsticks showed some changes in the band, as for the first time it sees them as a four-piece with drummer Tom Price, who replaces Steve Roberts (who had been in the band since 2010) and additional guitarist Gavin Bushell, which allows the band to be more aggressive and punchy than previously. They join Darran Charles (who also performed on The Pineapple Thief’s 2016 hit album ‘Your Wilderness’ and is part of their live touring band) who provides vocals and guitar along with bassist Dan Nelson. Lyrically, ‘Faced With Rage’ explores the theme of people dealing with emotional conflict in different scenarios, and who have a powerful desire to change their behavior or situation.
These guys are very much in the modern field of progressive rock, taking influences from Tool, Porcupine Tree, System of a Down, Radiohead and the aforementioned The Pineapple Thief and Bruce Soord. Actually, unless they’re careful they might even find themselves becoming beloved of the mainstream media as they are far more angular and indie rocky than one would normally think of with a prog act. With their approach and layering wall of sound there are also times when they come across as a more vibrant and energized Muse, and when listening to this I often find myself having closed my eyes and am just moving to the beat, not something one would normally expect from prog! I know I am late to the piece, as the album has already been out six months, but I am incredibly glad that I have finally heard it, as it is well worth investigating by anyone who has ever bemoaned that too many prog acts sound like Genesis.
The Pineapple Thief have announced a string of European dates for early 2017 in support of their highly acclaimed new album, ‘Your Wilderness’. The band will be joined by virtuoso Gavin Harrison (Porcupine Tree, King Crimson) on drums. Special guests and label mates Godsticks will be providing support.
20.01 Patronaat, Haarlem NL
21.01 Uden, De Pul NL
22.01 Zwolle, Hedon NL
24.01 Aschaffenburg, Colos Saal DE
25.01 Oberhausen, Eisenlager DE
26.01 Berlin, Frannz club DE
27.01 Prague, Futurum Music Bar CZ
28.01 Dresden, Tante Ju DE
29.01 Hamburg, Knust DE
31.01 Maastricht, Muziekgieterij NL
01.02 Paris, Le Divan Du Monde FR
09.02 Glasgow, ABC2 UK
10.02 Manchester, Sound Control UK
11.02 London, Islington Assembly Hall UK
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