I have seen one possible future of rock and it’s called Suzerain. Like all good bands they are aware of their place in the continuum of music and having picked up the post-punk adornments left scattered by various bands as they headed off for more mainstream pastures; from dark gothic vibes to the edgy, embryonic sounds that would eventually coalesce into the more commercial New Romantic movement, they have neatly refashioned these into something of the here and now. The scope of the modern studio, not no mention their employment of Steve Lyons whose work with The Cure, Depeche Mode and Souixsie Sioux must have made him the ideal candidate, has allowed them to add a modern gloss and glamour to the music and when all of this is bolted on to a driven rock drive, what emerges seems like the obvious way forward.
Suzerain offer us slick, contemporary, eye-liner wearing, rock, equally comfortable with a guitar or synthesizer. The false posturing of rock is dropped in favour of a cool veneer that ticks both commercial and cult boxes alike, the often insubstantial nature of electro is beefed up into an urban-rock onslaught and the over-earnestness of goth is turned into a sexy tribal dance vibe – the whole thing feels like a new unification of music, a unification that sees clubland and rock festival, serious music fan and throw away party animal all on equal footing.
Their ability to write hook laden, rock anthems at the drop of a hat, Hell of a Way To Go, Leave it There and What Happened, is enough to make any rock wannabees envious but it’s when they dish out haunting, cello washed ballads like Crying Now or the dark electronica of Keeping Tabs that you realise that Suzerain have many facets to their musical being. Nearly a decade of relentless gigging has certainly paid off, not only have they graced the stages of some of the biggest festivals across Europe, picked up adulation and awards along the way but has also giving them the tools and experience to be able to create an album full of songs this good. After the horrors of rap-rock and Britpop being the bastion of guitar music in the mainstream, it’s refreshing to have bands like Suzerain taking over the reigns.
Article by Green Man Music
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