Enter Shikari - Classic or Dud?

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They are the subject of a lengthy piece by the Petri Dish today, in which he says no one over 20 can understand them although from what little he writes about their sound it's not exactly rocket science. In fact, they seem to be actually "rave rock" in a way the Klaxons aren't (although stealing from the bits of rave that I don't especially like).

Anyway have you heard them and are they classic? Or DUD?

― Tracer Hand, Friday, 23 March 2007 11:12 (eighteen years ago)

they are listenable and quite fun. they're like a slightly-metal EMF, which is no bad thing; compared to the farting-into-a-bottle talentlessness of the klaxons, they're veritable gods.

there's absolutely no way i'm ever going to sit through one of their albums, but for a couple of tracks their whole trance/nu-metal crossover is rather entertaining.

― grimly fiendish, Friday, 23 March 2007 11:14 (eighteen years ago)

They don't sound gay enough. A trance metal hybrid could be awesome but the band in question need to borrow more from hair metal and cock rock and less from hardcore and emo.

― Matt DC, Friday, 23 March 2007 11:15 (eighteen years ago)

they are vile in every way.

― lex pretend, Friday, 23 March 2007 11:17 (eighteen years ago)

i don't buy the "all the kidz listen to indie" thing anyway - all the kidz rock critics come into contact with maybe, but there are as many or more under-20s who listen to pussycat dolls/akon/beyoncé, the first two of whom seem to be equally incomprehensible to adults

― lex pretend, Friday, 23 March 2007 11:19 (eighteen years ago)

i like them

― cutty, Friday, 23 March 2007 11:19 (eighteen years ago)

Actually I've realised what I actually want is Andrew WK with added trance.

― Matt DC, Friday, 23 March 2007 11:22 (eighteen years ago)

grimly otm

― fandango, Friday, 23 March 2007 11:22 (eighteen years ago)

Funnily enough, all of the "kidz" on my busses to and from work this week are EITHER playing Enter Shikari or Beyoncé, usually loudly through tinny mobile phones. It's a sort of nightmare.

That said, so far the Enter Shikari album is filling the "I Get Wet" role for me this year as a working out/washing dishes/drowning out horrible teenagers striving to perpetuate stereotypes about themselves on the bus album. So, classic!

And as far as the press angle about the DIY aspect of what they've done, it seems fairly legit and they are able to talk intelligently about why they don't need a major label's support.

― Ben Boyerrr, Friday, 23 March 2007 11:28 (eighteen years ago)

You're listening to Enter Shikari to drown out the kids playing Enter Shikari?

― Matt DC, Friday, 23 March 2007 11:42 (eighteen years ago)

This band are the musical equivalent of Homer Simpson holding up the jar saying "NUTS AND GUM - TOGETHER AT LAST"

― DJ Mencap, Friday, 23 March 2007 12:05 (eighteen years ago)

You're listening to Enter Shikari to drown out the kids playing Enter Shikari?

I know, right?

― Ben Boyerrr, Friday, 23 March 2007 12:40 (eighteen years ago)

Isn't one of them Howard Jones's nephew?

― nate woolls, Friday, 23 March 2007 13:26 (eighteen years ago)

This guy:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/5/50/HowardJones.jpg/220px-HowardJones.jpg

― nate woolls, Friday, 23 March 2007 13:28 (eighteen years ago)

They're not really a combo of nu-metal and trance at all. It's pop-metalcore with reverby saw-toothed synths in it occasionally. There are some standout moments of complete headfuckery on the album: the fact that the first lyrics in it, iirc, are the guy shouting "SHIT!" (a warning of what's to come?); track that starts off with a midi sounding martial call to attention and then proceeds into jaunty piano bollocks wherein the singer's complete inability to hold a note is fully exposed and then goes all heavy; the lyrics "my white abode. Do you remember? My white abode!" etc.

I am entirely ambivalent about them in that they completely repel me but I think them quite compelling.

― jim, Friday, 23 March 2007 14:10 (eighteen years ago)

*think = find.

I quite like the fact they have beatdowns and blast beats in their occasionally. Sure to annoy some hardcore kids.

― jim, Friday, 23 March 2007 14:16 (eighteen years ago)

At the very least, they're kind of hilarious, no? (I mean it in a good way, but even in a bad way, I can't imagine getting too worked up over a band that is so patently ridiculous).

― Ben Boyerrr, Friday, 23 March 2007 14:20 (eighteen years ago)

in their occasionally

xpost. In their songs occasionally even.

I actually think they will probably enrage a lot of uptight people.

― jim, Friday, 23 March 2007 15:53 (eighteen years ago)

Is their name a corrupted pun about having sex with Shakira or not?

― Scik Mouthy, Friday, 23 March 2007 15:58 (eighteen years ago)

Considering the band have legit hardcore roots, it's almost definitely a quote from a 1980s video game or some fucking anime.

― Dom Passantino, Friday, 23 March 2007 16:05 (eighteen years ago)

Anime, I reckon.

― Scik Mouthy, Friday, 23 March 2007 16:07 (eighteen years ago)

One of my students was playing them to me this morning. They seem alright, but not packing much in the way of choons.

― Noodle Vague, Friday, 23 March 2007 16:21 (eighteen years ago)

980 000 myspace friends can't be wrong.

― stirmonster, Friday, 23 March 2007 17:17 (eighteen years ago)

Classic if only for the handclaps in this video

― tpp, Friday, 23 March 2007 17:17 (eighteen years ago)

er, divide that by ten

― stirmonster, Friday, 23 March 2007 17:19 (eighteen years ago)

"Wh-wh-what???"

― Spencer Chow, Friday, 23 March 2007 17:22 (eighteen years ago)

Hated that video the first time, but ended up watching it over and over for a week or so. I'm afraid to hear what their other songs are like - that they might be less ridiculous.

― Spencer Chow, Friday, 23 March 2007 17:38 (eighteen years ago)

oh wow, that is pretty crap after all...

― fandango, Friday, 23 March 2007 17:45 (eighteen years ago)

Okay rlly that's kind of great.

― Noodle Vague, Friday, 23 March 2007 17:47 (eighteen years ago)

lol no-xpost disagreement

― Noodle Vague, Friday, 23 March 2007 17:48 (eighteen years ago)

That's their finest song by a mile. The rest are less ridiculous. No what what what. No white abode. No handclaps. On the album the song has a crappy wee cut up amens intro as well!

― jim, Friday, 23 March 2007 18:35 (eighteen years ago)

I've heard the "proper" version from the record, but the video version is much better.

― Spencer Chow, Friday, 23 March 2007 18:38 (eighteen years ago)

It reminds me of the new Ayumi Hamasaki album in particular and a lot of J-pop in general, minus of course the screeching and shouting which I sort of enjoy. I also hear the Rise with more money. I hope they get the girl from Evanescence to sing their vocal hooks in the future.

― Gendou Ikari, Friday, 23 March 2007 21:04 (eighteen years ago)

tpp on money re: handclaps

The two songs I've heard of them are pretty damn great.

― The Reverend, Friday, 23 March 2007 21:08 (eighteen years ago)

God, I never even thought of the Japan thing - I bet they are into Sigh, particulary the "Imaginary Sonicscape" album!

― Ben Boyerrr, Friday, 23 March 2007 22:23 (eighteen years ago)

eight months pass...

Seeing them tonight and am inexplicably excited.

― Spencer Chow, Wednesday, 5 December 2007 22:40 (seventeen years ago)

Not that anyone cares, but the show was INCREDIBLE! Made me smile the whole time.

― Spencer Chow, Thursday, 6 December 2007 11:19 (seventeen years ago)

Where was it, Spencer? Have they managed a U.S. following?

― Savannah Smiles, Thursday, 6 December 2007 11:25 (seventeen years ago)

It was at the Troubadour in LA - there was clearly an industry contingent, but there were also a ton of kids that knew every word.

― Spencer Chow, Thursday, 6 December 2007 18:57 (seventeen years ago)

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