¡Forward, Russia!

Numbering tracks in the order they were written rather than christening them with a proper name might be a nightmare for the innumerate, but for everyone else this should mark just one of the many inversions of expectation that are fused together to create the ¡Forward, Russia! monster. The intensely charismatic Leeds quartet seem to grow in confidence and fan-adoration with each tour, and are forging a reputation for themselves as the music world’s freshest innovation, effortlessly dropping mind-melting fission rock at its most heart-racingly visceral. Kitted out in matching t-shirts, the band are a performance unit who’s meddling with form and conjecture make for a wildly disorientating viewing experience. This is, of course, an excellent thing (unless a Maroon 5 gig is your idea of a wild night out) – their ability to integrate dance-beats with ear splitting thrash guitar, intense metal with hovering synth density, all in a seemingly non-linear, arbitrary fashion transgresses and destroys all rules of indie, dance, punk and pop, ushering in the next phase of clatter logic that’s held at fission’s core.



The controlled chaos of set opener ‘13’ is a perfect example of their ability to create new meaning out of their atomic splitting of music’s raw ingredients. Lead singer Tom contorts as if being submitted to electro-shock treatment, and as he leers over the crowd propelling his falsetto wail as far as it can scientifically travel, it’s as if a nuclear blast has hit and all that witness are bent back in awe.


Their set is a constant onslaught of affricative tensions, chopping and changing, weaving through a multitude of styles and tenors, creating an aural landscape of sonic luster that leaves you objectively amazed and subjectively absorbed at the same time. Some people don’t get it, others oscillate wildly, totally enraptured, but all are left with a sense of experience. With bands on and off the radar faster than ever these days, no matter what you make of ¡Forward, Russia!, you certainly won’t forget them.

FUTURE GIGS

sorry, we currently have no gigs listed for this act.