Tribalism

Enter Shikari are a cracking little band.
My enthusiasm for their albums 'Take To The Skies'
(2007) and 'Common Dreads' (2009) is undiminished.

'Tribalism' could have been a bit of a dog's dinner,
made up as it is of a mixture of remixes, live tracks
and a couple of new songs but somehow the boundless
energy of these young Hertforshire heavyweights binds
it all together into a coherent and resplendent whole.

Concert performances of 'Havoc', 'Labyrinth' and 'Hectic'
demonstrate that these lads can put it together on stage
just as well as they can in the studio. The recordings
capture the raw power of the experience with vivid intensity.
The live in Brixton take on 'Insomnia' is clearly a crowd-pleaser!
(Mr Reynolds roars like a man possessed by demons!)

Other highlights include the rumbustious Nero remix
of 'Juggernauts' which hurtles along at high speed
crushing anything foolish enough to get in its way
and The Quemists treatment of 'No Sleep Tonight'
which has a big, bad beat at its heart which needs to
be approached with caution (avoid it completely if there
are any symptoms of structural subsidence in your home!)

New song 'Tribalism' struts and staggers along magnificently.
The social commentary of its lyrics displays the kind of naive
anarchic charm which only the young can articulate with such
convincing vehemence. 'Thumper', too, spits out enough fire and
venom to shake their hometown of St Albans to its very roots!

Noisy, energetic and lots of fun 'Tribalism' is much
more than an afterthought. Long may the lions roar !

Recommended.

Ok, so this is a B-sides/Live songs/Couple of new singles release, which can usually be dissapointing. This isn't. It is a great collection of songs, even if there are too many remixes of the same songs. There are 15 tracks in total:

1. "Tribalism"
One of the new songs. Really great song; entertaining and thought provoking lyrics as always. Upbeat but not too aggressive. Great electro ending - "We won't stay silent!"

2. "Thumper"
Another new song. Great build to this one, great riff. Rou sounds amazing on this
one.

3. "All Eyes On The Saint"
A B-side from Juggernauts.
THIS SONG IS AMAZING - The first 2-3 minutes are fairly standard Shikari affair. It however becomes altogether their most progressive and epic offering yet. Their are choral and calm bits wrapped into an amazing rock song. The ending is just bliss, electro hard-core rock at its best. The song is about the Saint Alban (the band's hometown is named after him). One of the peaks of the song is the long 'British martyr' lyric from Rou. Anyway, check it out. I cannot tell how sick the last 1min 20secs are.

4. "We Can Breathe In Space (Radio Edit)"
An older single released before Common Dreads. Great song and epic video to boot.

5. "Insomnia (Live @ Brixton '07)"
Iconic Faithless track, which was performed in Enter Shikari's beginnning days frequently. Here it is an amazing take on the song - ES's take on a classic. Hardcore to say the least.

6. "Juggernauts (Nero Remix)"
The first and best remix. I love the original, and I'm not quite sure which one I prefer. This is just an awesome Drum and Bass remix, with a bit of light dub in there too. I dream of hearing this on a night out!

7. "No Sleep Tonight (The Qemists Remix)"
The best 'No Sleep Tonight' remix IMO. Love the electro shout of 'You're not....' A very rocky dance mix. A pendulum-esque vibe.

8. "Wall (High Contrast Remix)"
A pretty good mix - great work on the chorus. Doesn't quite change enough on the original for me.

9. "No Sleep Tonight (Mistabishi Remix)"
A weird one. Dubby and slightly down beat of the original. Opposite of the previous track... I can't really feel any of the original song at all (except the lyrics)

10. "Juggernauts (Blue Bear's True Tiger Remix)"
The second best mix. Same song but a more Dub Step approach, using slightly different lyrics. Lovely intro and great when the dub kicks in. Brilliant use of bits of the original.

11. "No Sleep Tonight (Rout Remix)"
A real gud'un. Unique, a dark dubby experience.

12. "No Sleep Tonight (LightsGoBlue Remix)"
A quite poppy remix, doesn't do quite as well as the other 'No Sleep Tonight' mixes.

13. "Havoc A (Live '09)"
Great rendition of the original. Not a 'complete' track as such. Mostly instrumental. Some crazy guitar in this one!

14. "Labyrinth (Live '09)"
A great song from 'Take to the skies' performed very well and originally. Rou's 'down down down' and other interludes are pretty entertaining.

15. "Hectic (Live '09)"
My favourite from 'Common Dreads'. Another great rendition with a bit of 'Halcyon' at the beginning. Nice to hear the crowd like this one as much I do!

Worth every penny if you ask me. A really original and great band. The most progressive music I've heard in a long time. Unique stuff!

A recommended item for any Shikari fans. 2 released tracks on no other albums, 2 quality new songs, a brilliant cover version, a barrage of remixes and 3 live tracks. Similar to 'Take to the Skies' remix and demo track album 'The Zone', 'Tribalism' features a number of songs from 'Common Dreads' that have been remixed and performed live, with additional released tracks such as 'We Can Breathe In Space' and 'Thumper'. It keeps the same high-octane pumping action that all Enter Shikari fans love, with that sensual mix of alternate/harcore rock and trance/rave, and for some tracks this is mixed up with some extra drum 'n' bass and dub step for a much heavy impact.

A true essential for any Shikari fan.