Leicester’s Hardcore, Alternative & Metal scenes are literally bursting apart at the seams, and it’s hardly a surprise given the driving adrenaline-fueled racket they’re making. Whilst Muleta Smiles are putting on ‘Basement Shows’ for themselves at the Shed alongside bands like We’re Not Worthy, Armed For A Crisis, Fights and Fires & We Are Fiction, all of which are making prominent buzz for themselves, Some May Run are spreading out to play shows further afield, Speaking in Italics have finally released their much-anticipated EP ‘Before We Start To Walk’ & Without Fire have returned to the studio: the intense oscillations of massive Hi-Gain Amplifiers are starting to peak.

This is where Surrender the Coast walk in. With the drive, pace and organisational skills of a small administrative team at an advertising company, Surrender The Coast have not only graced nearly every prominent hardcore bill in the last few months, they’ve recorded a new EP, the follow-up to 2010’s Avert Your Eyes which is due for release in February. designed countless flyers & album covers for themselves & other local bands (one being the aforementioned Before We Start To Walk) and have just released the most professional-looking music video to come out of Leicester in recent months.

With the graininess and blur of an old horror film ‘Open Minds & Empty Bottles’ begins with an anxious sense of subdue, police sirens in the distance racking the nerves of our fearful protagonist. The ominous out-of-focus car creeping in to the multi-story car park, the gritty setting for the video, signals the literal crash of guitars that kick-start the song. With chase scenes, narrow stairwell descents and frantic running it becomes apparent that for all of those hours sat watching Jack Bauer run from various bad guys should have been accompanied by metal music. They also should have left you as eager to jump out of your chair and run as you become when when you watch this video.

At times you expect the film reel on the projector to burn up, leaving you unintentionally privy to some information leading to an unseen murder, or something equally as horrific/Hollywoodesque. Luckily this is avoided. The feelings of unease, however, remain.

In terms of talent & aspiration Surrender The Coast are consistently surging upwards, gaining momentum with each new release and every new gig, making them one to expect big things from. Their new EP, Breaking Morals & Losing Morale, is due out on the 3rd of February at the EP Release Show at the Sumo! Support comes from Speaking In Italics, Amherst, Some May Run & Glory For A Dead Man with tickets available here!

Words by Jack Richardson
Resident Review's Editor & All-Round Lover of Music, Jack is known for listening to everything from the Indie to Jazz, Rap to Reggae & Hip-Hop to Math-Rock, to name just a few.
Read all articles by Jack Richardson