When you think of Leeds what immediately comes to mind? Geoffrey Boycott? Kaiser Chiefs? Billy Bremner, Don Revie, Norman Hunter et al? How about Mishkin? Never heard of them, well 2011 could well be the start of a big year for Ben, Ali, Jimmy, Dave and Bradie.

There is undeniably a little something special about Mishkin, a band who have the art work for their new EP designed by Ralph Steadman; who worked alongside the iconic Hunter S Thompson; a band which has supported Sepultura and Enter Shikari; as more famous bed fellows; played around the world to countless audiences, toured extensively in the UK, yet still find themselves unsigned and searching for that big break.

Mishkin are currently riding high in the Red Bull Bedroom Jam hoping for the prize of a festival or two, having already played a set from their ‘bedroom’, but the critics would argue it is little more than a popularity contest spurred on by excessive Twitter tweets and Facebook follows. The question is of course are they any good?

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ROW AWAY FROM THE ROCKS is officially Mishkin’s second EP release, but with Hold Tight! PR co-ordinating the release the overall package is very professional for an unsigned band.

Opening track GOOD DAY TO DIE gives the listener no warning and launches straight into Ben Davy’s vocals, who without introduction insists; with an aggressive yet clear message; that “This is a good day to die”. You’ve only just got past the word ‘good’ and the rest of the band; without wiping their feet on your welcome mat; burst in and by the second refrain Ben’s screaming of the word ‘die’ encourages the guitars to weave their way towards the second verse; although if you’re expecting to be subjected to the continued assault of this aggressive style, then prepare your ears for more soaring and confident vocal performance which vies for attention. As the track reaches the halfway moment, Mishkin demonstrate a penchant for outright pure headbanging, fusing screaming vocals, with heavy riff driven drumming and guitar, before allowing the first guitar solo to bring the whole track via the vocals back to the soaring vocal theme. GOOD DAY TO DIE finally hammers home its message when what feels like the entire band insisting that now is a good moment to shuffle off this mortal coil.

WAITING FOR THE WORLD TO CHANGE has a surprisingly mellow opening, with heartfelt vocals underwritten with a trip like beat and light guitaring, however, it isn’t long until the vocal is permitted a solo moment, though it takes the drum rhythmically beating through this mellowness to encourage the heavy driven riffs to follow in. The track ebbs back to its original mellowness interrupted by a generous slab of heaviness as Mishkin keep the pace and power driving the track into a well measured looping and curling guitar solo, which lifts the remaining minutes of the track onto much more solid rock / metal ground.

ON YOUR SLEEVE has more in common with WAITING FOR THE WORLD TO CHANGE, allowing the vocals to express themselves, with the odd moment that feels almost James Hetfield in style. Although rewind to the opening and the electric piano moment has all the stylistic feel of Mike Oldfield’s Tubular Bells; if you were to concentrate on its association with The Exorcist. It is that singularity of pulse that gives ON YOUR SLEEVE an almost unsettling sensation, the one and then two beat drumming feels like its tapping an entrance through your skull before the beat goes pattering through the cerebral cortex, all of this whilst Ben asks “What will it take to make you see clearly?” The riffs are there, the vocals with the edge of an echo and you are really hoping that they can turn “that dream into reality”. ON YOUR SLEEVE is a landscaped epic of a track that allows each musician in the band the opportunity to demonstrate their craft; whether that’s chugging guitars or stimulating knob twiddling axe mastery it’s all here for your enjoyment.

If you are going to close, do not close on a ballad, choose something that is going to rip the vocal chords to shred, that will have your finger calluses bleeding or your arms burning with the fire as you pound away at your choice of skins. VIOLATION opens like it is angry and irate with pounding, kicking drums, exhaustingly rapid riffing and primal vocals. From somewhere Ben finds a part of his throat that is not raw to fight a battle that he won’t take it “lying down” whilst the band join in with shouts of “justice”. To quote Dylan Thomas, VIOLATION does not “go gentle into that good night” instead it is full of burning rage.

On this outing there is an incredulity that Mishkin have yet to be signed up and they want to be signed up. ROW AWAY FROM THE ROCKS is one of the most polished releases by an unsigned act that you are ever likely to hear. If you love your metal music, then head to their website www.mishkin.co.uk for more information, go see them live, don’t tweet how good they are, scream it!

Reviewed by Jimbo Walsh

ROW AWAY FROM THE ROCKS available to pre-order now from www.mishkin.co.uk for release on 6 June 2011

(DISCLAIMER: parts of this review appeared by this author on www.ukmusicreview.co.uk in January 2011)