aaamusic | On 22, Sep 2010

Readers may have, in their travels of this website, noticed my rave gig review of a band called Max Raptor. Given the phenomenal energy and effort they put into their live sets, I would quite happily say that they are one of the best hopes of the British rock scene today. But as many a music fan would know, a band can be truly awe-inspiring live, yet when recorded they lose their impact.

Thankfully, Max Raptor keep all of their bite in a studio context with their latest single ‘Ghosts’.  A thundering punk-tinged intro gives way to a fast-paced rock song that features rumbling basslines and an eerie, slightly echoing guitar riff lurking in the background. The drumming is straightforward yet devastating, holding together the song with clear rhythm in a cymbal-snare attack. The vocals are quickfire and as impassioned as they are live, backed up by gang vocals in the chorus as the band employ some of their trademark stop-start riffing before building up into a heavy yet brief instrumental with crashing cymbals and the fantastic bassline. The outro of the song is a descending cascade of rapid vocals and hurtling drums before it all fades into a surreal few seconds of guitar effects. The lyrics of the song are, as with all other elements in the track, simple yet intelligent and effective as they detail the frustrations and disappointments of modern life, as summed up in the chorus: “this is not how we expect it to be”.

Once again, I would more than happily admit to high hopes for Max Raptor, as their smart, incisive take on alt-rock, featuring a punk heart tempered by the ever-present indie trappings of most new bands, is miles above the benchmark set by most of their peers. Melodic yet ferocious and intelligent without being in the least pretentious, they are truly one of the most exciting bands to have risen in the past few years.

Author: Katie H-Halinski