Bristol, UK-based band Cosmic Ninja unleash an invigorating sound throughout their newly released Filth EP, melding a range of excitable guitar distortion, contagious vocal layers, and seamless synth infusions. A dynamic grip takes hold throughout, ranging from anthemic rock soaring to fluid hip-hop pursuits.
“For once in my life, I wanna feel the silence in me,” the vocals yearn on the opening “Manic Insanity,” immediately showcasing the band’s aesthetical versatility. The anxiety-ridden, title-touting sequence traverses with a revved-up alt-rock appeal, while the ensuing vocals reflect an intense hip-hop ferocity that balances cohesively with sporadic eruptions of guitar distortion. The band display a knack for integrating replay-inducing hooks in between verses that dabble in everything from hip-hop briskness to lusher pop pursuits, and in the case of “Manic Insanity” succeeding firmly with the former.
“Stone Cold” follows with similarly impressive eclectic flair. “It ain’t good for your health,” the vocals caution amidst momentum-filled guitars and percussion, culminating in the “stuck in a shark cage,” outpouring — bolstered by call-and-response vocal sections and bursting synth blasts. From piano-laden serenity to heavy guitar movements, “Stone Cold” is another testament to Cosmic Ninja’s melodic versatility. The track’s apex features a screaming “ain’t good for your health,” vocal power alongside the guitar propulsions, putting a bow on this thrilling success.
More embracing of its hip-hop/rock cohesion from the get-go, with shades of RATM in the verses, “Cardiac Unrest” enthuses further with enveloping vocal performances — engrossing into the “gotta put a stop to this now!” proclamation. Meanwhile, the subsequent “Come Up For Air” stars with a definitively rock-forward hook with a catching blend of chirpy synths and heavy-rock guitar distortion. The EP’s title track also compels in its central hook, repeating “seize the power!” amidst a comparable arsenal of synths, guitars, and multiple vocalists.
Concluding the album, “Echo Chamber” enthralls from the get-go with whirring guitar intensity and delectably shrill synth-forward momentum. The “shadows around me,” central hook stands as another firmly replay-tempting moment on an album full of riveting moments, consistently impressing with its ascending structural pay-offs and synth/guitar interplay within impassioned vocal layers. The Bristol-based act thoroughly impresses on this energetic, melodic release.
