I have one complaint about the debut EP Obscene from dead nice – it only has three songs!
I want more.
I need more.
The new melodic punk kids on the block’s debut EP will be out on Oct 13th and the band is built on a foundation of lifelong friendships and the music community of Leicester.
John Conyers say this of their hometown,
“It’s the scene we all grew up in and we have so much love for Leicester. Sadly we’ve lost a lot of venues in our time here but places like The Shed, The Firebug, Duffys, The Soundhouse (where we’ve chosen to do our first show) and The Musician have stood the test of time. Matt Kirk at The Firebug/Duffys is the absolute man and books some incredible shows, we’re lucky to have people like him.”
He further adds,
“We’ve all been in various bands but FreefallFelix is the one we always come back to. It was where we all met and cemented friendships that we know will last a lifetime – we’ve been there for each other through so many things, good and bad, and stick together like brothers, always, with no questions asked.”
John and former Freefallfelix band mate, Mike Manger, are joined by Ed Bramford, Edd Stockton, Dave Tidmarsh and the quintet are finding inspiration in bands like AFI, Rise Against, Millencolin, Hot Water Music, Thrice and Thursday to name a few.
Personally, on first listening to Obscene, I felt as if dead nice were the love child of the now defunct Anti-Flag and Rancid. There’s a wonderful harmony and melody within the music, the instruments, and vocals that teem with angst and fiery passion.
Obscene is loosely based around the concept of an island that gets cut off from the mainland every night.
On the concept, Mike says,
“Dave is really big on the idea of songwriting through themes of film, books and storyline. It’s a super unique way of writing and recording and a way we hadn’t really worked before. I took it one further and actually came up with the loose concept of an island that gets cut off by the sea at night, and three different characters. ‘Observer’ is about someone looking on at what’s going on, ‘Outsider’ is about someone escaping, and ‘Occupier’ is about someone staying and tearing it up when the sun goes down.”
The opener of Obscene, “Occupier”, is fast, furious, and such a wonderful introduction to dead nice. I was immediately thrown back to Vans Warped Tour eras of my life and knew instantly I was going to like the rest of the EP. The drums are quick and catchy. The guitars and bass are as voracious as the vocals.
“Observer” feels more like a rock song than a punk song. It has a wonderful bass line that I could listen to all day, every day. This was the song that made me think of Anti-Flag. The chorus is tight, harmonious, and infectious. I have zero doubt this song will be a live show favourite.
Closing track, “Outsider” is goddamn infectious. It is musically the combination of the punk vibe of “Occupier” and the rock vibe of “Observer” and it seamlessly blends both sounds into a delicious and catchy track. It has speed, wailing guitars, thrashing drums, slick bass lines, and fantastic vocals. The track only leaves one wanting more.
If you’re in Leicester, catch dead nice’s live debut at The Sound House on October 14.
MUST LISTEN TRACKS: All three songs
FAVOURITE TRACK: “Observer”
Editor’s note: dead nice is stylised in lower case letters.
