Devon based band release their second record
Eclectic, uncompromising and utterly unique female-fronted alt. metal quartet Sanguine have announced the Europe-wide release of their sophomore album ‘Black Sheep’ on January 29th, via Odyssey Music.
Following on from Sanguine’s critically acclaimed self-titled, self-released debut, ‘Black Sheep’ has, literally and figuratively, seen the Devon-based band come a long way. Recorded at In Flames’ Gothenburg studios, it is their first professional studio recording, and hears Sanguine embrace fresh technical polish and production expertise, while still refusing to compromise on the schizophrenic sound that has long set them apart from the flock. Guitarist Nick Magee comments, “This album has been a real journey. It started back in 2012 when we started cutting demo’s in Gothenburg. Since then the album has taken us to Berlin, Hollywood Los Angeles, Ibiza, Las Vegas and Stockholm. We’ve had a blast and can’t wait to release it all!”
In the countdown to the album’s release, the band will be rewarding fans who pre-order copies with two instant gratification download tracks (‘Social Decay’, available with orders placed now, and ‘Black Sheep’, available from December 4th), and will be sharing a series of teaser videos. The first clip to be posted is the lyric video for title track ‘Black Sheep’; a brutal example of Sanguine at their most full-on and fearsome. Nick says “it is very much the black sheep song off the album…it’s really raw compared to the other songs, we wanted that passion on the album and we’re so glad we captured it!”
Built around Nick’s imaginative and versatile guitar work, and the mercurial vocals of songwriting partner Tarin Kerrey, whose voice can swing from banshee howl to angelic melody in the space of a single track, Sanguine formed while still at Exeter University and immediately began generating a buzz. With drummer Matt Feld and bassist Ross Andrew bringing the awesomely tight and heavy rhythms, the band concocted a unique, immediately recognisable, take on alternative metal. Rich in dark humour, their sound draws as readily from the atmospherics of Massive Attack as the sonic dynamics of rock icons like Tool, Faith No More and System of a Down, while maintaining an unmistakable identity through the eclecticism, and a resolutely song-led stance through even the heaviest moments.
Their early demos moved Slipknot’s Joey Jordison to comment it “sounds to be a hit!”, and encouraged SikTh’s Mikee Goodman to volunteer his production services to debut EP ‘Live, Consume, Drive’. Accompanied by a trippy and terrifying Scuzz-playlisted video, the EP also introduced Sanguine’s skill for creating retina-searingly memorable visuals, and for delivering the frantic, infectiously energetic performances, which would later win them a slot at Download festival, and supports with Megadeth, The Defiled and Cancer Bats, to name but a few.
If 2012’s self-titled full-length debut was an example of how much can be achieved by sharp minds on a limited budget (recorded in a burnt out aircraft hangar and the space above a local sex shop, it went on to receive praise from the likes of Zero Tolerance, Powerplay and Big Cheese), then ‘Black Sheep’ sees Sanguine draw on new experience and resources to develop into a real force to be recorded with. As well as recording at In Flames’ studios, they convinced guitarist Jesper Stromblad to guest on one track, and co-write another. The Scandinavian dream team was then completed by producer Daniel Flores (Crucified Barbara, Seventh Wonder), who helped the band to realize ‘Black Sheep’s rich, textured sound.
Nick sums up, “we can’t believe how well it’s gone in a lot of ways – the music industry is tough at the moment so we are lucky to have been given the opportunity to do so many different things. This album has something for everyone I think – we wrote it sort of like a sound track to your life. Each song has a different energy”
