Album Review

Peaced Out – Peaced Out

• 3rd Dec 2012

Before I have even listened to this debut record by Peace’d Out I’m excited: revealing their existence in a way like no other – releasing puzzling videos and randomly positioning USB drives around America – the band has finally announced their eagerly anticipated line-up. Featuring members of many acclaimed bands including I Am The Avalanche and RX Bandits to name but a few, this exhilarating new band already sound promising before I’ve even taken a listen; no pressure boys.

The sound that Peace’d Out has fashioned is refreshing and raw: taking elements of punk and hardcore and creating a post-mashup that is uplifting; this ticks all of the boxes for me. Take ‘Castlemania’ as a prime example: with a synth and percussion opening leading promptly into a set of two separate but equally infectious hooks, the track soon welcomes the fierce screams of Vinnie Caruana (I Am The Avalanche, The Movie Life). Introducing even heavier elements nearer to the end of the track, I am definitely 100% hooked just less than 3 minutes in. The pressure is off.

‘White Pyramid’ is just as captivating as ‘Castlemania,’ with the percussion keeping at a steady mid-pace yet combined with a faster rhythm to keep the track up-tempo. The vocal work is particularly diverse: spoken vocals “never coming home” end with a pause that leads straight into a weighty riff, along with the whispered “just like going to sleep, going to sleep, going to” kicking into an immediate dark scream. If you like music that keeps you on your toes then ‘Peace’d Out’ has your name written all over it.

Coming in at just 1 minute 20 seconds, ‘I Would Like to. Feed Your Fingertips. To the Wolverines.’ is packed to the brim with harsh roars and boisterous rhythms. Ending on an abrupt note and leading into final track ‘Baadering Raam,’ Peace’d Out have well and truly overruled most music that I have listened to in the past 12 months. Infrequent time signatures which have also been notably present in the past 4 tracks add yet more substance to this already solid release.

I am finding it near impossible to fault Peace’d Out’s self-titled EP and despite being released so late in the year it is a definite high contender in my ‘Top 10 Records of 2012.’ Now all there is to do is to wait in anticipation for a full-length release and a UK tour (pretty please?)

Venue: Peaced Out
Support Band: Siren Records