The Fierce & The Dead

From its crunching opening, you would not necessarily guess what an eclectic album 'Regional Theatre' by The Fierce And The Dead is. This is an album of many different parts, sometimes within the same song, and opener 'Loungeside' immediately sets the tone, moving through contrasting passages while retaining the band’s trademark intensity.

'The 1234' initially recalls Sonic Youth’s 'Silver Rocket' before veering into distinctly Progressive territory. Drummer Stuart Marshall deserves particular credit here for the multiple time signatures he employs throughout, adding to the sense that the song could change direction at any moment.

'Shake Hands and Exit' takes a more slacker-Rock approach, recalling Sebadoh, albeit with singer Kevin Feazey delivering a more polished vocal, before returning to the crunching Post-Rock suggested by the opening track. There are even orchestral flourishes, further demonstrating the band’s willingness to throw different ingredients into the mix.

'Somehow' initially sounds like an ’80s New Wave number before breaking into a chorus reminiscent of The Killers’ 'Smile Like You Mean It'. Then comes 'Hey Nightmare', which jars you out of the previous track with its Motorhead-like Speed Metal, Doom-laden intonation and creeping Gothic edge. It perhaps epitomises the album’s wonderfully schizoid nature.

As noted elsewhere, 'Superbia' begins with Feazey’s breathy vocals reminiscent of Ian Brown on The Stone Roses, before jolting into something altogether more jaunty and eventually twisting its way into a Doom Metal finale. A similar trick is employed later on 'Hypernormalisation', while 'Dream Sequence' crashes in with a Grunge-like grip before embarking on yet another series of about-turns.

'Thrash' introduces a Bowie-esque vocal and dynamics that recall the darker expansiveness of 'Black Tie White Noise', while closer 'Signal Bleed' provides the album’s glorious finale. Expansive, ambitious and unmistakably Progressive, it possesses something of latter-day Radiohead’s ability to make atmosphere and experimentation feel genuinely epic.

For me, 'Signal Bleed' is the album’s standout track, but 'Regional Theatre' is ultimately defined by its refusal to settle into any one style. This adventurous approach will delight some fans, but may frustrate others, as the album can prove a difficult first listen. It demands patience before its many twists and turns begin to reveal themselves. Just when you think you have The Fierce And The Dead figured out, they change direction again.

Ivan De Mello