After recently releasing one of the most socially aware albums of our time titled A Flash Flood Of Colour, Britain’s Enter Shikari are heading down under for the punk rock metal extravaganza known as Soundwave.
Growing up in St Albana, Hertfordshire, allowed Enter Shikari to explore many genres which make an appearance throughout their songs. Enter Shikari have managed to mix post-hardcore and electronica together perfectly creating their unique sound.
”I guess we were lucky enough to grow up in a really, really interesting musical scene. We had the punk, hardcore, ska locally and then we were right near London. So we could go into London and get in the dance scene with drum and bass, house, we were lucky enough to watch dubstep grow. I guess our music has just naturally come out quite different sounding,” explains front man Rou Reynolds.
A Flash Flood Of Colour was released January 16th through Hopeless Records /Ambush Reality. It features elements of post-hardcore, metal, dubstep, rave and indie rock, combining them together to create a mixture of sounds which progress from previous albums.
“It’s a kind of progression from our last two albums. We haven’t strayed away from what we have usually done but musically it is really diverse it’s called A Flash Flood Of Colour and that’s what supposed to be, it’s the injection of positivity. We hope people will dig it.”
As well as being musically diverse A Flash Flood Of Colour touches on multiple issues face our world such as countries at war, oil companies and the way we as humans destroy our planet. Ironically a London riot fire in a PIAS Distribution warehouse – which holds stock for not only Enter Shikari’s Ambush Reality label but a lot of other UK indie labels – caused a delay in the distribution of their DVD Live From Planet Earth. The fact that Enter Shikari face these big issues rather than the clichéd sex, love and money, makes them one of the most influential and talented bands of today. “I think with this record especially a lot of people are supporting it because it kind of one of the very few socially conscience records that are out at the moment.”
Now with a new CD behind them Enter Shikari are coming back down under playing with other alternative superstars at the Soundwave Festival. Enter Shikari are just as excited as their fans to be hitting our shores.
“It’s one of our favourite place to tour. Everyone is always really friendly and welcoming. Obviously just like every other band we try and time it so we come over for your summer. We can try and get a suntan on our puny English skin.”
When asked about their favourite festivals to play Rou lists Soundwave Festival alongside the UK’s Reading Festival, a festival which is not only the one that they grew up with but also one they set a new world record for.
“We have been lucky enough to play the main stage in Reading Festival over here in the UK twice, we have actually broke the record for the amount of people crowd surfing at a festival, ever. There is the most incredible footage up on YouTube of it, playing to like 50,000 people and having that many people crowd surfing. It looked absolutely incredible, totally surreal; those images will stick with me forever.”
2011 was a busy year for Enter Shikari with the Warped tour, The Dead Throne Tour and the recording of the new album. 2012 is expected to be just as action packed. “More of the same… the last two years we have done Warped which kind of takes away our whole summer, well in the northern hemisphere, so we are not doing that, which we are kind of happy about because it means we get to do European festivals. We are doing our first ever headlining American tour, then hopefully by the end of the year we will be back in Australia to do a headlining tour over there as well. So yeah looking forward to it, will be a busy one.”
Don’t forget to Enter Shikari at Soundwave. If festival’s aren’t your thing you would be insane to miss out on their Sidewave featuring Letlive and Your, Demise.
