A debut to take note of
Having already caught the eye of the Limp Bizkit’s Fred Durst, Spirytus are a band name to remember. Front man Ryan Walton has already had the opportunity to perform ‘Full Nelson’ alongside the singer and will no doubt be heading straight to the top with this record.
With this self-titled release, the Nottingham quintet has created seven infectious songs, combining some funky bass lines, crashing drums and strong guitars topped off with some compelling vocals. The record opens with the crunching guitars and crashing drums of ‘Bullet Ride’, that moves along to ‘Taken Away’ with the strong wielding guitars, then comes ‘You Don’t Know’ a song that opens with a sharper, slicker side then blends with the ambiance of the previous songs to create something extraordinary. ‘TV Clown’ is an odd tune as it takes on a circus style opening, becomes MUCH more intense while retaining some the circus melody, ‘Schizophrenic’ and ‘Crucify’ revert back to the fast moving style the release opened with.
In terms of vocals, there is a definite Fred Durst influence as well as a little Chad Kroeger (specifically notable on the opener), creating something enticing about the vocals at times. There is a combination of this manner of singing with something gruffer, somewhat screeching at times, yet each brings something impulsive, rugged and interesting to the table.
There is a definite Limp Bizkit influence on this record, but Spirytus has not just adapted to it, but made it their own, taken the essential bits that work well and added their own stamp on it. Spirytus is a band that will be making their mark on the industry in the coming months.