Belfast band Ferals unveil EP “Love & Other Obsessions”

Reviewsalt-rock

18 Oct

Ferals are a rising alternative band shaped by the wild, untamed and rugged north coast of Northern Ireland from which they hail.

Having spent years honing their sound, the band release their largest body of work to date: ‘Love & Other Obsessions’. In the five track collection, the band take time to acknowledge their past but reach toward their future as a unit, using introspective songwriting to explore love as the ultimate vice.

Comprised of Sam Foote on guitar, Dan Zilla on drums and Shane McMullan on bass and vocals, McMullan’s north coast locale means that the band’s songwriting process has never been that of a ‘jam band’. The precious time spent together in the practice room is focused and productive, with the band building up a wealth of demos before choosing the tracks for the EP, making it an opportunity to rework and modernise material while showcasing their progression.

The EP opens with ‘High Praise’, a track imbued from the outset with a sense of frustration, given voice through abrasive, raw, punk tinged rock. Juxtaposing “snotty in your face vocals” in the verse against the hooky melodic vocals in the chorus, helps build the tension throughout the powerful opening. Lyrically focusing on the obsession of religion, having been raised in the church, McMullan deals with his relationship to the experience, intoning ‘I cannot believe I’ve got to beg for my belief’, after asking for answers and finding none.

‘Give It Up’ swiftly follows - an instant change of gear, retaining the muscle of the previous track but with more restraint and consideration. Third track ‘I Get Lost Sometimes’ eschews the more rock feel of previous tracks, and leans more into dreamy synth and electro-pop.Thematically, the second track centres around self-destructive tendencies, making it a heavy second hit.

‘Common Pain’ acts as an interlude/intro to ‘The Inbetween’, expanding on the electro influences the band have. Written during late nights in McMullan’s attic while experimenting with different synths, drum loops and crushing kick drum sounds through various plug-ins, underneath the trap/garage sounds the track frames grief as obsession, wallowing in it, unwilling to face the truth or take steps to get better.

‘The Inbetween’ is the last in a trilogy of songs conceived by the band (previously released tracks ‘The Low’ and ‘The High’ form the remainder) ‘The Inbetween’ is the “quintessential Ferals song”, emotive and expansive, driven forward by pummelling drums with McMullan’s vocals as a lightning rod for the listener, helping guide them through. Foote’s subtle math-rock guitar layers in the verse give way to a squall of guitars in the chorus, while the song ebbs and flows throughout Much like the tumultuous north coast that provides inspiration and influence for that band.

As with much of Ferals music there’s a duality to the track, melody juxtaposed against crushing break downs and lyrically it speaks of how someone’s dream could be someone else’s nightmare

For the final track, ‘Time Of Need’ pull no punches. When the chorus riff breaks, it nods to the devastating power of Ferals, who deliver themselves as confident and comfortable from track to track. Going full DIY for the recording process, McMullan took the helm to engineer and mix the songs, setting up camp in the bands practice space.