It takes guts to endure what Giants have gone though. The DIY Punk scene is a beautiful community and can be very fulfilling, but it can still be a slog. The Essex melodic hardcore band have toured the toilet circuit relentlessly for over five years (this is far from a rushed release), but even with such dedication, any kind of large recognition or financial reward is never a given. For many bands these pitfalls end up being a case of having to pack it all in. Giants however, have made a statement with ‘Break The Cycle’ – a debut album that captures their live intensity perfectly and that they are more than ready to take things to the next level even if it breaks them.
It can be really hard to produce a hardcore album that is both relentless, brutally heavy and still accessible, but Giants have done it with grace. ‘Break The Cycle’ is packed with unmistakably British anthems. The singalongs are so infectious yet heavy, they threaten to crush your windpipes. Opener ‘Underachievers’ sets the tone in their typical aggressive style whilst ‘Our Own Enemy’ is a convincing and passionate call to arms. It’s clear they are angry, they have fire and they are passionate.
The vocals are concise and catchy, with traces of Bad Religion, Rise Against and their skate punk roots. The title track screams “there is no hope” with velocity and ‘Resignation’ in particular will no doubt be a soundtrack for stage diving. The most surprising thing about ‘Break The Cycle’ is the strength of the melodies; almost every track features a huge chorus that could be compared to While She Sleeps and Architects. You can only presume that Giants will continue to walk similar steps in their career after the strength of this debut release.
Without ever slowing down, there isn’t a dull moment on ‘Break The Cycle’. Every breakdown suits the tempo and even the odd guitar solo has its rightful place. With a Black Flag sensibility to it, Giants do what they enjoy and they do it better than the majority of the contemporaries. You might be disappointed that the album is less gritty than their older stuff, but the more polished production that Giants have gone for will no doubt help them grow and allow more ears to hear them; something they rightly deserve.
Refusing to stagnate, carry on writing the same old shit whilst getting nowhere, Giants have quite rightly just broken their own cycle, and demanded you take notice of them as one of the most promising UK hardcore bands of this generation.
LOUIS KERRY