Oaths – Stag Party EP – Vanguard Online

As you get older, your points of references increase as you travel through life. A prime example of this is music, as you hear new bands and albums you can’t help but draw from your past and this was the case with Oaths and me. I must admit that when I checked a YouTube video of the band, halfway through I jumped to another link for ‘Cosy Powell’, a historical reference point for me.
But something made me return for a second listen and that was the professionalism on show in the bands Video for ‘I am Danger’. The production was clearly was an internal effort (but no less effective) and watching again made me realised that there was something special here.
This prompted me to listen to their debut EP ‘Stag Party’. The bands hardcore tag is well suited with angst driven vocals over some high energy riffs. The EP opens with ‘Lover another’, a real anger driven emotional roller coaster that gives an insight into the potential of the bands dual vocals.
The use of two male voices is further evident on the subsequent tracks but the final two really show what the band can achieve. ‘Amsterdam’ is full on old school hardcore if such a thing exists, delivering all the intensity ideally suited to the genre. The final track and the YouTube clip that first pricked my attention, ‘I am Danger’ delivers a more melodic second vocals to the mix and provides a new edge to the bands sound and is a perfect first release.
So, clearly I’m not the demographic for the band, I have bands that defined my younger years and who will stay with me until death or senility (Whichever comes first) but I believe that Oaths could become an anthem for a new generation and provide their own points of reference for years to come.
Tours beckon for a new generation of ‘Kerrang’ readers and the views of a middle-aged rock fan will fade into irrelevance but that is the point, my musical tastes tend to look backwards and Oaths are moving forward and aiming for the future.