Some people just have a way of delivering their songs that sets them apart. Take Ross William Wild. He became the singer of Mercutio back in 2019, and listening to him sing the four songs that make up the “Chaos Is King” EP, you are left marvelling at the depth, the theatrics that he brings to the band.
On the opener – the title track – for example, he is delivering words that belong more in poetry than rock n roll, but by the second one “Alex” (which appears to be about an extra-terrestrial), there’s more than a hint of Fish-era Marillion about things.
And this unconventional approach is rather mirrored by the band as a whole and the diversity of the record. Fabio Staffieri and drummer Francesco Lucidi (he was the drummer in the band that played in Rocketman, the Elton John film) are brilliant and the thing veers from massive sounding, arena grabbing stuff that you might think of as being something like Biffy Clyro might do, to the massive, swathes of swaggering prog of the aforementioned “Alex.”
The key word, I guess, there is “massive” because whatever the London based trio do, it does not ask permission. The way “Alex” builds, for example is a real treat, and for all that has some 70’s bombast, this is thoroughly modern.
“Terraferma” has just a touch of Muse, I suppose, in its tight electronics, but its environmentally aware lyrics give this one a different feel to the rest. And interestingly, it even moves itself into a proper metal lead guitar before the end. Think modern Maiden and you aren’t too far away.
“The Ghost That Is You” is suitably overblown, and is perhaps the heaviest thing on offer- riffs fly in the breakdown, that’s for sure. Jodie Steele, who’s background is in musicals, performs a duet here, and at times this is a record that feels actually more like a performance than organic, low slung rock music.
“Chaos Is King”, however is a superb EP, and it’s the work of a band that I genuinely can’t predict where they will end up, beyond this: It’ll be a hell of a journey.
Rating 8.5/10
