They’re the band everyone is talking about – and here’s why you should care!
1. They Sound Like No One Else
Cane Hill have mashed up influences, sounds and eras to create a whole new animal. “We pretty much only listen to Pantera, Megadeth and Metallica,” laughs frontman Elijah Witt. “So if you take everything from the 80s and put it into a pile of nu metal, it’s kinda like that!” So that’s the bounce of Korn, the groove of Pantera and the chaos of Slipknot? Works for us.
2. They’re Pissed Off
Anyone who listened to last year’s ferocious, shamelessly angsty self-titled EP will know that Cane Hill are not a band to play to your grandma during an Antiques Roadshow break. This is ugly, violent music – and it’s awesome. ‘I’m a time bomb – just let me off!’ screeches Elijah on their stomping Time Bomb single. The vitriol he’s spitting out makes us think he’s not bluffing.
3. They Prove That Nu Metal Can Still Be Awesome
Look, we know nu metal has had a quite well-deserved shit-kicking over the years, but at its creative height, it was awesome. That sector’s influence on Cane Hill – from the groovy, Korn-esque riffs peppered through ragers like Screwtape and Gemini to the flurry of scratches that kick Time Bomb into fifth gear courtesy of Issues deck-spinner Scout – shows that it has produced new, relevant bands very much worthy of your attention. Cane Hill are undoubtedly top of that list.
4. They Have Something To Stay
Despite the brash and, on the surface, simplistic nature of their sound and lairy lyrics, Cane Hill actually cover a startling variety of political, sociological and even economic issues within their music – a deceptive depth of character that is channelled primarily through Elijah. The singer states that the new album, due out this year, will cover “loss, depravity, patriarchy, misogyny and racism, plus social, political and economic stances, all thrown into stories people can relate to”. Metal For Dummies, this ain’t.
5. They Could Be Metal’s Most Unlikely Feminists
Five heavy metal dudes from the party-central craziness of New Orleans standing up for equality for women? It might not sound like much of an obvious match, but Elijah is actually a determined anti-misogynist –something that is reflected in his lyrics, his interviews and, most interestingly, in his journey as a human being. “My dad left, so I had my mum and my sister, and I watched them go through all of this shit,” he remembers, “and until about two years ago I was actually a major part of the problem. I was stupid, I was naive, I was probably the pinnacle of misogyny. But my eyes opened. I met my girlfriend, who is a radical feminist, and I realised just how ridiculous [sexism] is. And it’s now at the forefront of people’s minds – we’re not afraid to speak out about it, to fucking tell people what’s wrong with the world. The people that don’t want to listen are going to be left behind.”
6. They Ain’t No ‘Scene Band’
“We want to break out of the scene where breakdowns are ‘cool’, because it’s not us,” muses Elijah. “It doesn’t have so much to do with our generation, just the kind of person we’re playing to. The kid that goes to school wearing Slayer t-shirts with metal wristbands on? That’s our shit.”
7. They Have Big Ambitions
Cane Hill are already winning fans far outside of their New Orleans habitat, and if they have their way, they’ll be capitalising on that international love very, very soon. “From the response that we’ve got in the UK, I’d assume that at some point this year we’ll be out there, because you guys seem to like us a lot!” beams the frontman. “We’re gonna be touring, we’ll be dropping an album and we want to take over the fucking world.”
Future Shots: More fresh meat to get you psyched for 2016
Bad Sign
The Croydon punks will be following up 2014’s slamming Destroy EP, with a spate of live dates to boot. Should be noisy. Will be awesome.
Beyond The Black
If you’re looking for metal to slay dragons with, seek out this galloping German crew, helmed by the mighty pipes of Jennifer Haben.
Enterprise Earth
Deathcore: when it’s done right, it fucking rules. For evidence of that, get ready for these Spokane skull-smashers.
Fallujah
Like your death metal on the proggier side? Prepare for these San Fran noisemakers to blow your mind when their Nuclear Blast debut is unleashed later this year.
From Ashes To New
Like Linkin Park might sound now if they hadn’t spent a decade dicking about in the alt-rock wilderness, FATN will be heading our way around summertime.
Kublai Khan
This Texan metallic hardcore crew are making a hell of a noise Stateside, and with ace album New Strength dropping at the tail-end of last year, expect big, noisy things.
MisÞyrming
Set to explode out of the black metal underground, Icelanders MisÞyrming have been booked for a residency at Roadburn 2016. It’s only up from there.
Sanzu
What happens when you cross the pick-scraping groove of Gojira with the death metal attack of Morbid Angel? Sanzu happens, and it’s fucking awesome.
Wild Throne
Washington’s Wild Throne already snapped a few necks when they played in the UK last year, so expect a triumphant, impactful return.
