England’s south coast hasn’t always been metal’s most fertile breeding ground, but thanks to the likes of local veterans Architects and events like Mammothfest, the seaside scene’s gaining momentum, albeit mainly in the bustling metropolis of Brighton. A few miles down the coast, however, Worthing’s Bleed Again are making more than enough noise to push their own town into the spotlight, with a little help from their friends.
“Thanks to Mark Knowles, who owns the now-infamous Bar 42, Worthing is on the musical map,” says vocalist James Dawson. “He’s offered gigs for free, so we’ve gained experience and developed as a band. We love playing there because we can really get involved in supporting the scene in Worthing. It may be a sweatbox that resembles the rat cellar on Guitar Hero II but it’s our little sweatbox!”
Judging by the precise and powerful metalcore anthems on their debut album, Momentum, Bleed Again’s development has hit an early peak. Full of memorable refrains and jaw-shattering riffs, it’s a forceful statement of intent that’ll delight fans of Trivium and Killswitch in particular. For James, it represents the blossoming of a new, positive outlook on life.
“Everything [in the past] was always so negative as I didn’t think I had anything going for me,” he admits. “These days I’m in a much better place and my lyrics reflect that. Everything I write now is positive, even when it’s negative, if that makes any sense! A lot has changed in my life. I truly believe that when the shit hits the fan, there is only one person that’ll get you through it, and that’s yourself.”
When the power of positive thinking collides with some of the sharpest metalcore tunes you’ll hear this year, the end result can only be a massive party… on the beach, presumably.
“We want people to listen to Momentum and say, ‘Fuck yeah!’” James declares. “We want people to feel the hair on the back of their neck stand up. But most of all, we want this album to connect with the listeners and for it to mean as much to them as it does to us.”
Momentum is out now via Sliptrick
