The Cooper Temple Clause - Homo Sapiens

The Cooper Temple Clause – Homo Sapiens

Chris George

Apart from the whiny metal wall-of-noise rawk that Kerrang’s dreams are made of there are few bands who really rock at the moment. Sure, ¡Forward, Russia! aren’t afraid to crank things up to 11, but their songs’ manic mood-swings can be a tad disconcerting. Granted, Muse belt out tunes that burst speakers, eardrums and blood-vessels alike, but their penchant for the theatrical often gets in the way. Never fear for The Cooper Temple Clause have shed some of their electro skin to go down a heavier path for their latest album and “Homo Sapiens” is a bone-snapping example.

The Coopers had their truly heavy moments in the past, but “Homo Sapiens” is a step beyond. It tears open with a frenetic, snarling riff that underpins the rest of the song, throwing in discordant guitar wails over pounding power chords and the odd guitar solo. Lead singer Ben spits bile through clenched teeth – claustrophobic lyrics about the ceaseless demands of the commercial music world. Not in a tiresome “Oh my fame is such a burden” way, but in a “The pressure from our record label is a head-fuck-and-a-half” way. It’s furious and visceral, yet still melodic and catchy.

It’s like the Pixies, Sonic Youth and Queens of the Stone Age thrown into a blender and set on fire. It’s like a masochist getting smacked ‘round the back of the head with a guitar and gasping for more. It’s like a hundred other obtuse analogies that don’t give you a great idea of what “Homo Sapiens” actually sounds like but let you know that it’s a high-octane spine-cruncher of a tune. It’s rock & motherfuckin’ roll.