Enter Shikari - Tribalism

Already a new album? No my friends, just a collection of b-sides, remixes and live songs. But Enter Shikari also decided to record two new songs to increase the album's interest.

The first new song is 'Tribalism', a synth-led track showcasing another change in direction, the English four-piece going further towards experimentation than they already did on 'Common dreads', with the part sung by Chris Batten even having a Depeche Mode vibe. The verses are a bit boring at times but the song benefits from an excellent chorus, dynamised by a faster rhythm and back-and-forth vocals. The breakdown is good as well, fairly heavy with big gang vocals and Rob Rofle smashing his drums. The funny yet deep lyrics about humanity are worth checking out. 'Thumper' is a more traditional Shikari song, full of breaks and energy and featuring a great vocal performance. The drums are a bit disappointing compared to the guitars but the nasty synth line will put everyone straight. The 6-minute b-side 'All eyes on the saint', a tribute to the band's hometown St Albans's hardcore scene, is an average b-side despite its original construction and the live cover of Faithless's 'Insomnia' is a bit weird as they really turned it into a metal song, so you'll hear moshing guitars mixed with a very cheesy pop synth line. They also included the 2008 single 'We can't breathe in space, they just don't want us to escape' (originally demoed in 2005), in my opinion of the best songs the band have ever written, so it's great to see it finally being able to get the exposure it deserves. It has everything the rock Enter Shikari are good at: crazy guitar notes, impressive vocals, energetic drumming, sing-alongs and a nasty breakdown. The keyboard only really comes at the very end, creating a gorgeous atmosphere like the band have rarely done and it is such a shame the version included on this album is the radio edit, as the original 6-minute song's soaring end is incredible. Next is the remix part, starting with Nero's version of 'Juggernauts', a good chilling tune with a great drum'n'bass beat. The same song then becomes a quite good dubstep track in the hands of Blue Bear, member of True Tiger. When it comes to The Qemists, they gave 'No sleep tonight' both a heaviness and an appeal for the clubs that the original didn't have. The only unreleased remix on the record is the drum'n'bass take on 'Wall' by Welsh DJ High Contrast, who turned it into a good anthem for clubs but nothing worth adding to your iPod's Shikari library. The only annoying moments are to be found on the second half of the album when come three other remixes of 'No sleep tonight', one of them being a boring dubstep remix only including the chorus's vocals (Mistabishi), another an upbeat club song (singer Roughton Reynolds' DJ alter-ego Rout) and the last one an experimental dance mix not having much to do with the original (LightsGoBlue). They're not really bad, but hearing four takes on the same song is a bit tiring. Closing the album are three live songs, transcribing well the intensity of the band's live show and if you dig it, I'd recommend you to check out both of their live bootlegs, one of them accompanying the pre-order for 'Tribalism'.

The new songs are worth buying the release if you're a real fan of the band (even if in this case you probably already own a lot of the other tracks on vinyl as they were b-sides of singles) but if you aren't, just buy them separately on iTunes. Definitely better than Bring Me The Horizon's attempt, but really not essential.

3.5/5

Recommanded if you like:
The Prodigy, Pendulum, Chiodos
Check also:
The Qemists, Exit Avenue, Rout

www.myspace.com/entershikari
(Ambush Reality, 2010)