Muffled Potential
Plate Six have just finished a stint in the UK touring with Dan Sartain, now they're releasing their new album 'Battle Hymns For A New Republic'. Plate Six are fronted by Dan's new bassist David Hickox, and given the rave reviews Dan received for his album 'Join Dan Sartain' the bar is set very high for these chaps.
Sadly, they're not up to the challenge, and this album is not a patch on what it could have been. Their musical talent is obvious and their blend of indie/hardcore is quite pleasant in places, but the for the most part, it's just annoying. The layers of noise drown out David's vocals. The band also seem to stick to the same formula making it difficult to tell different songs apart, and when they do seem to get it right, like on 'The Unblinking Eye' they ruin the impact by constant repetition.
The band clearly do have potential but they could do with thinking a little more carefully about how they layer their songs if they want to make any impact. The production on this release also makes the songs sound muffled, and uncomfortable to listen to. Their close relationship with Dan Sartain may have got their name known on the music scene, but they're going to have to work a lot harder if they want to stick around.