Nottingham is famous for 2 things, R*b*n H**d and Rock City. Witness then Junktion 7, the kind of uber-venue fodder feeder that keeps Nottingham at the top of the pile when it comes to heavy, heavy rock. Recently the venue has been punching well above its weight, sporting the culminated powers of The Blueprint and Splint on the same bill. Whether Splint could convey the energy of such visceral live performances on record however, was always going to be interesting proposition. Cue exhibit A, Splint’s latest release ‘A Placid Reminder’ as case in point.
Opening track ‘Theories of Thought’s blistering kick intro sets the bar high, but right through to the song’s thumping and woosy grunge coda (reminiscent of Alice In Chains back when the heroin was really good) ‘A Placid Reminder’ rapidly establishes itself as a formidable EP.
Second track ‘This Control’is a subtle beast and might be construed relatively as a ballad, grinding more epic ground under its heel; the sheer breadth of the sound belying the quartets line up. The disjointed syncopation of ‘Darkened’ is mildly hypnotic whilst closing song ‘A Fall Within the Chemistry’ sees frontman Leon Wiley cooing and the band embracing almost quixotic dynamics.
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It’s easy to drop the magic word (Abraca-Tool!) when such head and body rock collides, but ‘A Placid Reminder’ places Splint in the enviable realms of an intensely cerebral Filter; And I’m talking Filter when they were mean, when they had members on secondment to Smashing Pumpkins, and, most importantly, before they started sucking bloated corporate cock. Partly this is due to Wiley’s layered vocal’s; half Jane’s Addiction’s Perry Farrel, half irate Richard Patrick. Credit is also due to (heavier_than_thou) guitarist Mike Bett and drummer Si Hutchby (whose stint in UK prime rock export earthtone9 finds him listed on the internet as frequently as an influence as a musician). Hutchby throws in some understated flashes of brilliance, most notably in third track ‘Darkened’, which, more than ably assisted by bassist Dylan Griffiths, make for a heady rhythmic onslaught underscoring an already fearsome front line. The result is something of a heavy modern masterpiece. Get yourself a copy from www.officialsplint.com.
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