Reviewed by Ian Webber

Although a four piece outfit at the time of recording this EP, this trio from Coventry have been building a strong following by gigging round Britain and Europe. In the process they have developed an expansive, mature rock sound. From the driving opening chords of the lead single "Arrows," edgy rock credentials are displayed with the heaviest cut on the recording. A solid guitar groove is matched by a pummelling bass that features high in the mix. Some individual and memorable riffs litter the tracks including a polished intro to the catchy "Without You". The majority of this recording stays close to a heavy rock feel, rarely venturing into the heavier realms. A couple of moments of grunge do, however, raise their head to interest listeners with a penchant for metal. The unclean vocals of "Unity" work well and provide a noticeable British feel to the delivery of the track along with a good rhythmical sense. The recording is of excellent quality for an unsigned band and really showcases the musical talent and potential of the group. The one area that lets down the overall package for me is that at times the vocals are a little pitchy and the lyrics can sound clunky and out of kilter with the music. I can imagine that Rifferspock are certainly a band that are worth seeing live where these elements of their performance are less exposed. This aside, the solid production of these six tracks points towards the potential of a band that have more than just three chords and distorted guitars in their locker.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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