English quintet The Fierce & The Dead are gravitating to a blend of shoegaze and metal on their new album Regional Theatre. The post-rock leanings and forays into progressive rock are still there, but not as prominent as before. It makes it a bit easier to digest for people who are not familiar with the history of the band. They started out in 2010 as an all-instrumental experimental trio with the long-form track Part 1. Over the years their sound has shifted slightly with each release. The big surprise came in 2023 when bass player Kevin Feazey stepped up to the mike for the News From The Invisible World album. Textures gave way to "proper" songs albeit with a twist. Start with Hypernormalisation which covers all the bases (caveat: they are a lot of them).
Fast forward to 2026 and the band have found a new common ground for coming up with melodies that can sit comfortably on top of intricate rhythms - a track Somehow may sound radio-friendly, but there is plenty to enjoy for people who can appreciate the layers that are not so obvious. Black Sabbath will love the rumbling Hey Nightmare and their ode to rock 'n' roll The 1234 could be their ticket to long overdue airplay.
Art rockers Superbia and Trash mix elements of Sparks and Porcupine Tree, which is really something else and it will please their hardcore fans who are craving for a bit of good old risk taking and weirdness. Regional Theatre could be labelled as a transitional album, on the fence between being accessible and adventurous. If anything, it will leave listeners guessing where they will go next, but it will be interesting for sure.
The Fierce & The Dead:
Kevin Feazey: vocals, bass, production
Tom Hunt: keys, vocals, percussion
Matt Stevens: guitar
Steve Cleaton: guitar
Stuart Marshall: drums
Regional Theatre is a self-released album. Buy it from their website (vinyl, CD, digital). Release date: September 11.
Tracks:- Loungeside
- The 1234
- Shake Hands & Exit
- Somehow
- Hey Nightmare
- Superbia
- Dream Sequence
- Trash
- Hypernormalisation
- Signal Bleed
- 10/09 Bristol @ The Louisiana
- 10/10 London @ Downstairs At The Dome
(album release show) - 10/16 Ramsgate @ Music Hall
(w/ sax player Terry Edwards) - 10/17 Southampton @ The Hobbit
- 11/20 Nottingham @ The Carousel
- 11/21 Liverpool @ The Stockroom
HCTF review of Shake Hands And Exit
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