EP: Conspiracy
Artist: Echogram
Reviewer:Tom Gilchrist
Echogram, lead by Kilian Pettit, are an Irish alternative rock band who claim to have rock icons Chester Bennington (Linkin Park) and Robert Smith (The Cure) amongst their fanbase. The Irish 4-piece have had extensive radio play in their home country since 2007, and hope to burst into the public sphere with their new EP, Conspiracy, followed by tours of the UK and the US.
The title track kicks off this EP with heavy guitars and drums while Pettit’s vocals soar over a wave of electronica. The chorus is irresistibly catchy and it is easy to picture this song filling dance floors and conquering airwaves across the country. It is a powerful opening to a somewhat flat EP. After the toe-tapping highs of the opener, Direkt Hit follows. Using the same formula, it fails to live up to the title track and becomes rather forgettable. The EP then changes direction with the acoustic Burn, with a promising opening riff that fails to deliver at the end, especially with the standards set in the opening song. The EP closes with remixes of Conspiracy and Weakness, which focus more on the electronic side of the band rather than the stadium-rock type guitars that listeners are treated to at the start.
The bands influences are clear, with echoes of Nine Inch Nails, Smashing Pumpkins and Placebo with an electronica feel. However, the EP lacks the originality of music and lyrics that made these bands great. Echogram plan to release their full debut album in Spring 2012, and if it is anything like their opening song, 2012 could be a big year for the Irish 4 piece.
Best Song: Conspiracy
Final Score: 2.5 out of 5
