ShvpesGreater Than

On their second studio album British five-piece Shvpes are making some pretty big waves thanks to their fondness for elaborate genre-twisted creations.

MORE: HALLOWEEN HYSTERIA: Brisbane’s Loudest Ever Party

Raging through a dichotomy of textures, sounds and ideas, Greater Than is, every pun intended, greater than 2016’s debut Pain. Joy. Ecstasy. Despair. The callous cries of the band’s metalcore/hip-hop inspired discourse proves the hype surrounding Shvpes hasn’t been unnecessary noise; it is every bit warranted and earned.

It’s hard to know what to make of Shvpes when they’re throwing together so many ideas.

There’s a zealous character at work in After Life, as rap and roaring vocals collide in powerful sentiments and an equally powerful video to accompany it. Thundering riffs and double pedals mean Undertone runs rampant, an exhilarating experience and a power behind vocalist Griffin Dickinson’s sometimes sassy lyrics that’s hard to ignore. You’d be forgiven for thinking Two Wrongs, No Rights had gate crashed the Greater Than party, like an unwelcome Kanye West track had somehow found its way into Bring Me The Horizon’s jam. The discourse in identity is likely the only thing holding Shvpes back.

It’s hard to know what to make of Shvpes when they’re throwing together so many ideas. Sure, it’s clear they’ve got a lot of love for a lot of sounds and on the whole pull them together in a pretty neat way—but ultimately, when you’re direction is unclear and you’re jumping on and off the fun wagon, it might mean it’s back to the drawing board. What’s the plan B for scene domination?

STANDOUT TRACKS: After Life, Undertones, Calloused Hands
STICK THIS NEXT TO: Nothing More, Sikth, While She Sleeps