A Flash Flood of Colour - Enter Shikari

Release Date: January 17, 2012

Record Label: Hopeless Records

Reviewed by: Jonathan Weber



Enter Shikari has always let their music speak for their feelings about politics and government, however, A Flash Flood of Colour, is a little different. This time, the band is screaming at the top of their lungs loud enough for the world to hear. Enter Shikari picked the perfect time to hit their stride with their first release on American label, Hopeless Records. The british four-piece put forth their most diverse record to date, while still staying true to their hardcore-electro roots.



From the start, this album grabs ahold of you and doesn’t let go until its done. The introduction track “System…” starts out with same eerie synth as Common Dreads, before strings and the voice of frontman Rou Reynolds culminate beautifully. As Rou screams, “This is such an exciting times to be alive, our generations gotta fight to survive” the track ends and “…Meltdown” begins. Coming out of the gate at full speed, Enter Shikari deliver one of their signature breakdowns twenty seconds in. The moving drums in the chorus keep the energy alive, making the rest of the track complete after such an exciting introduction. After the lead single, “Sssnakepit” comes “Search Party”, a classic Enter Shikari song that mixes the dual vocals, chaotic synth, and chugging guitars. The heaviest song on the album comes in the form of “Hello Tyrannosaurus, Meet Tyrannicide”; a track very reminiscent of “Mothership” from Take To The Skies. The studio version of “Arguing With Thermometers” doesn’t disappoint after fans got the chance to see it live.



A Flash Flood of Colour may be heavy on the fast moving tracks that force you to decide if you should dance or mosh, but three tracks differ from your normal Shikari tracks. The first is the moving acoustic track, “Stalemate”. The fusion of sounds on this track is simply unbelievable. Enter Shikari somehow made a song that pulls influence from Mumford and Sons along with Skrillex, before ending with a chilling piano outro. Next up is the anthemic “Pack of Thieves”. Easily the poppiest track on the album, the song builds up to a soaring chorus that will force you to sing along. Finishing up with a heavy dub breakdown before the final chorus, this track is sure to be a fan favorite. The final song on A Flash Flood of Colour is the five minute wonder, “Constellations”. The song leads in perfectly with bells over Reynold’s soft vocals, before strings highlight the hook. When the song fully kicks in, it seems that the boys have taken a page out of the books of Coldplay and Angels & Airwaves, and do the stadium rock sound damn well. “Constellations” is the perfect song to end A Flash Flood of Colour: an epic closer to an epic album.



The boys certainly have outdone themselves with A Flash Flood of Colour. Reynold’s lyrics have never meant as much and hit as hard as they do. His synth programming is beyond anything Shikari has done before. Behind the kit, Rolfe keeps the tracks interesting and fun with dancy beats to counter the heavy hits. Rory C and Batten compliment Reynold’s both on the vocal and programming side, chugging along.



A Flash Flood of Colour definitely sets up Enter Shikari for their most exciting year as a band. Oh, and one final question: Rory C whats your thesis?

★★★★.5 /★★★★★



Tracklisting:



System… …Meltdown Sssnakepit Search Party Arguing With Thermometers Stalemate Gandhi Mate, Gandhi Warm Smiles Do Not Make You Welcome Here Pack of Thieves Hello Tyrannosaurus, Meet Tyrannicide Constellations

Enter Shikari is:

Rou Reynolds (Lead Vocals/Programming)

Rory Clewlow (Guitar/Vocals)

Chris Batten (Bass/Vocals)

Rob Rolfe (Drums/Vocals)