Radicus – The Bigger Noise

Radicus is one of those UK punk acts that get far too little press outside of its island home.  While not a perfect match, after listening to their recent eight-track mini album, The Bigger Noise, they really remind me of country mates The Arteries.  Their surprising technical proficiency coupled with a ton of deserving comparisons from this side of the Atlantic have quick made Radicus a personal highlight.

Balancing between a slew of unlikely benchmarks, their sound comes together tightly, clearly existing outside of the shadow of their influences.  Their dual melodic-hardcore style invites Comeback Kid comparisons, but their prevalent harmonizing vocals and precise technical edge draws more from the Strung Out or even A Wilhelm Scream camp.  There’s definitely an EpiFat flavour to the whole ensemble and it serves them well.

The band meets with success early on in opener “Family Fortunes.”  Like a grinning gambler throwing down a winning hand, Radicus has nothing to hide.  The track roars open with stampeding skate-punk drumming (think early No Use For A Name) before seamlessly switching tempo and launching into a highly pronounced metal-tinged guitar bridge justifying all those technical comparisons.  Vocals trade between LeeBrisbourne’s clean whine and a chorus of gutsy cries – feeding off each other rather than competing.  Few bands achieve such natural contrast while still developing across an album.

Radicus makes it sound easy.

There’s just so much going on at any given time, and it all meshes so well.  Normally I raise the alarm when hardcore vocals infiltrate the sanctity of my melodic punk safehouse, but on The Bigger Noise I greet them with open arms.  Even on their thrashiest, most assertive piece, “O Dejay God,” the crashing screams dominating the later half merely evolve as the natural escalation point – in no way feeling like a forced shift.

The band puts it best in “The Spark II” when reflecting on their short career: “we started this six years ago/when we were kids with all that fire in our hearts/all that passion down inside/somewhere along the way/the spark it brings it back/we are never gonna quit.” – and I completely believe them.  With a formula balancing so much so well (hardcore energy, calm melody, quick tempo shifts, etc…), it’s only a matter of time before Radicus earns a rampant global following.  Material like The Bigger Noise should keep the quintet active until each resembling that aged punk featured on the cover.  Here’s to the ride ahead.