Chaosaroma, Chaosaroma - EP review

With a selection of shows cropping up to kick off 2019 the band are giving the EP a fresh push in the hope of boosting its reach, and so they should.

They've got grunge and pop punk influences aplenty which ooze through their songwriting. Whether you fall in love with their material will depend on how much you love the safer side of grunge. But take a listen, there's a lot here to be a fan of.

This five-track EP starts off with a fairly hefty feel, and lightens as it progresses.

The instrumental Intro teases some deliciously gravelly guitar strands from Mikey Done that are thumped from below by a loud, dark bass string and some hard-hitting percussion.

That spills into Live It Up, that can point to the likes of Monster Truck and Soundgarden for inspiration. Rocky riffs and melodic walls of sound spin around each other and build to one of those big sing-along stadium choruses. It's what Monster Truck in particular have made their living on and will prove a rousing addition to their live set-list.

From there we go into Figure it Out. It has a similar construction behind it, while losing some of the agitated, balls-out swagger of its predecessor.

This is where some of the grit falls off the product and a cleaner, pop-infused sound starts to emerge. It's glossed like some of the big pop punkers of the 00s, but it's not always a bad thing as the swish sound laid down here sounds great for a band giving this their first attempt.

Take It All Away opens up with a slithering bass line from Jordan Evans that welcomes in the kind of guitars that made Superheaven's 2013 record Jar such an audible delight.

Closer Rollercoaster dips in quality as it moves towards the airier pop rock sound that made Sum 41 so popular. You know, one-two-one-two drums and bass at times. But there is still a lot to enjoy about Josh Blake and Done's vocal friendship.

It's a solid start for the four-piece, and suggests a steady evolution of sound.

Rating: 7/10

Chaosaroma are supporting Fear Without Reason at Wolverhampton's The Giffard Arms on February 23, before supporting Nebula State alongside Enemo-j and Second Cities at The Asylum 2 in Birmingham on March 21. They are then back in Wolverhampton competing at the Bloodstock Metal 2 The Masses Heat 5 competition at KK's Steel Mill, Starworks Warehouse, on March 28.