REVIEW - Ruled By Raptors - 'Silent Sound' (EP - Pulse Music)

Formed in 2018 and releasing one EP, 'Ouroboros' in 2019, Newcastle's Ruled By Raptors regrouped before and during the COVID pandemic and commenced work on 'Silent Sound', their sophomore EP. Finally released, it has been worth the wait; expertly mastered and recorded by Romesh Dodangoda (who has worked with the likes of Motorhead, Funeral For A Friend and Bring Me The Horizon) at his Longwave Studios in Cardiff, and self-produced by the band, 'Silent Sound' is an expansive, varied and very, very powerful EP indeed. With hints of Deftones and Biffy Clyro within its four tunes, it covers a gamut of differing tones and sentiments in a well-rounded and thoroughly enjoyable EP.

The EP comes bursting in with the fiery guitar riffing intro of 'Waves' before settling into an intense, claustrophobic song with a loping groove, tuneful choruses and urgent lyrics about the inactivity around tackling climate change. It's a perfect way for the band to set-out its stall for the EP and introduce their muscular sound. The intensity is taken down a little for the next track, 'Dance Of Wolves', with a melodic tune showcasing the dynamic drumming and bass work of Will Robson (drums) and Nick Oliver (bass). Potential 'hit single' material, it's a great song and shows the other side of this varied and talented band. 'Cleftones' brings the EP back to its stomping best with Matthew Dewar's accomplished guitar work running through the verses and the whole band opening up into another soaring, epic chorus. Fine stop-start riffing at the end of the track too. 'Oxy's Moron' finishes the EP with a complex, winding track of nearly six minutes with Chris Bradley using the full range of his vocal talents from plaintive utterances to a full-throated roar and the band interspersing guitar passages with fearsome room-rattling power.

Complex, heartfelt, technically accomplished and containing a range of emotions and themes from empathy for the struggling to outright fury at the society we live in, 'Silent Sound' is an awesome EP from a very fine band. In a crowded scene of post-hardcore, punk and alt-rock / metal bands, Ruled By Raptors stand a little higher than the majority of these bands and deserve to progress to the level of their aforementioned influences. Hopefully, 'Silent Sound' will help them make a giant leap towards that goal.

'Silent Sound' is available on all the major digital sites. CD copies can be picked up from the Ruled By Raptors Bandcamp page - www.ruledbyraptors.bandcamp.com