North West Industrial duo 19ninetynine have created a nice buzz around themselves recently, with a top quality live debut in Lancaster under their belts, the band now have a chance to shine on their debut EP, and that they do.
Opener, ‘Totality’ is a dark and dirty rock and EBM-infused beast that will no doubt tear up dancefloors all over the UK and worldwide in the near future. Intelligent bleeps meet with atmospheric guitars for a great powerhouse of new Industrial noise that builds and builds throughout the six minutes to a massive crescendo. Follow-up ‘iThink’ carries a little bit more punk influence and as such it packs some serious attitude in with some effortlessly accessible beats. Again, there’s some major potential for this to be a massive club hit, but this one would certainly fit into a more rock-orientated playlist as it has a very strong crossover appeal and is definitely the EP’s standout. The title track ‘Vagabonds’ (a New Model Army cover) readily displays the quality embedded within Chris Wyrd’s haunting vocal register along with the pop sensibilities surrounding Andy McBain’s guitar work and tight production. the Vagabonds EP is a solid body of work that acts as a fine preview for the band’s forthcoming album due out in August.
While 19ninetynine are not leaps and bounds ahead of other acts on the UK Industrial scene, they are certainly an interesting amalgamation of your favourite styles and artists and so, these lads are very worthy of your time.
***/5
For fans of: Blind Before Dawn, Deviant UK, Apoptygma Berzerk
