By:
Ernesto Aguilar
Album Type: EP
Date Released: 17/05/2017
Label: Independent
Still
heavy, with flourishes of dank blues, Beggar sets a dense forecast on each
track.
“Chainscraper” CD//DD track listing
1.
Chainscraper
2.
Take a Leaf
3.
Our Good Name
4.
Cryptid
The Review:
As
metal bands go, London's Beggar is as active as
they come. Formed in 2012, Beggar released a
string of recordings, including its self-titled demo in 2013, “Beggar II” in 2014 and EPs in 2015 and
2016. Vocalist Charlie Davis, guitarists Abraham Whitworth and Jake Leyland and
drummer Bertrand Sautier clearly have a significant amount of creative energy
between them. With the group's third EP, "Chainscraper," Beggar's music seems
primed for its next stage of development.
Those
who have heard past works by Beggar will surely
remember some of the more melodic tones to its work. Although the music has
always been quite thick, there were plenty of hooks and strong rhythms from
Sautier and Davis, who covers bass duties as well. This EP, the recording feels
far more urgent with vocals much edgier than its last forays. Still heavy, with
flourishes of dank blues, Beggar sets a dense forecast
on each track. Some critics have likened the style to something south of Rage Against the Machine. It is possible to hear echoes of
that group in the first 60 seconds of a track like "Cryptid" although what Beggar does is truthfully far different. There's certainly some
groove, but it is without the rap and hip-hop influences of Rage. It is easier to hear something more like early Suicidal Tendencies in many of these riffs. For the pure
metal fan, such is welcome news.
Beggar's new recording, in fact,
unifies most with hard rock, punk and neo-blues inspirations to its already
potent metal clang. Listeners get the gouge of classic metal and sludge from
the beginning with the title track, then into "Take A Leaf," which sprinkles in just a bit of thrash
too. It's really mellifluous, in fact. Rarely do you find yourself bobbing your
head with a band's sticky tightness, but you get it here. Maybe it's band
compatibility that lends to Beggar's prodigious
output and just how enjoyable these guys are when they play together. However
the group wrings out just excellent music, they do it with gusto on this new EP.
Throw
up a high five to Davis, of course, for adeptly using this vehicle for his
shouts, growls and brutal vocals on a song such as "Our Good Name." The lead on this EP is quite a standout.
Then again, this new recording by Beggar reveals a band
growing and getting better with time.
"Chainscraper"
is available here
