ALTESCAPE got the opportunity to chat to one of our favourite Birmingham hardcore outfits, Stitched. The band's guitarist, Mike delved into 'Slumtracks', the band's killer new EP.
On the 9th of February, Stitched has released their latest EP ‘Slumtracks’, following the release of their debut EP ‘Beneath the Surface’, in February 2020. ‘Slumtracks’ features recent singles ‘Happy to Inflict’ and ‘No One Likes A Rat’ alongside 4 brand new tracks. Speaking to Stitched, the band outlined that ‘Slumtracks’ has been in the works for ‘absolutely ages’, expressing that ‘some of the tracks were written early 2020, and it was recorded in summer 2021. We had intended to release it much sooner, but lockdown and the fallout afterwards limited what we could do’.
The Birmingham based hardcore outfit have let loose in this EP, showcasing themselves as the leaders of Birmingham’s hardcore scene. ‘Slumtracks’ jumps up in production quality since ‘Beneath the Surface’, whilst honing in on the distinct, fiery sound of Stitched. Querying what has changed since ‘Beneath the Surface’, Stitched said that ‘we were still trying to find our own sound on the first EP, and I think we’re much closer to that now. The song writing has improved, and we have paid a lot more attention to detail with these songs. There’s more layering, and more influences that we’re introducing into the mix now’. In this EP, you can really hear that Stitched have sunk into a level of comfort with their sound in which they are unafraid to fully explore and expose their creativity. For me, this EP was hugely cathartic as Stitched have experimented and exploited their full talents and potential, giving ‘Slumtracks’ immense power. On the first run through of listening, you can hear how perfected this release is; each track flowing smoothly from one to the next, with the entire EP creating a sort of narrative. ‘Slumtracks’ is the product of immensely hard work and unfathomable talent.
Kicking off the EP is ‘Occulture’. Torturous spoken word, and ghoulish sounds echo through the introduction, with Stitched then throwing us into their threatening riffs and driving hardcore beat. This track opens the EP with hell fire, smouldering listeners with its intensity and rage. ‘Occulture’ paints a picture of a world away from society in which supernatural and mystical phenomenon prevails. The lyrics ‘we are not ourselves anymore we are just a reflection’ are hopelessly honest, whilst also referencing a sort of hyper-reality/ simulation.
Leaping from the thought-provoking ‘Occulture’, Stitched plunges into ‘Bring Back the Hate’. From the second this track kicks off; all you want to do is get up and two-step. This song begs to be heard live, and I imagine the mosh to be intense. ‘Bring Back the Hate’ continues the themes of rejection towards society and distaste towards the contemporary world heard in ‘Occulture’. Fuelled with rage and frustration ‘Bring Back the Hate’ echoes the ignorance that prevails in our world, with lyrics such as: ‘tunnel vision choosing not to see’. Stitched have said that ‘Bring Back the Hate’, is one of the tracks that they are most looking forward to playing live, and ‘4 of the EP’s tracks have been in our setlist for some time’, but ‘Bring Back the Hate’ has never been played live.
Next up is ‘Happy to Inflict’. This track must be the leading single from the EP. For me, ‘Happy to Inflict’ fully illuminates the distinct sound that is Stitched. The beauty of this track is the complexity and depth of the lyrics: despair tied with anger and concealed with extraordinary instrumentation and fierce vocals. From intense breakdowns, to mesmerising riffs and violent vocals, this track forces the EP forwards into ‘Slumtrack’s next track ‘Sic Transit Gloria Mundi’.
‘Sic Transit Gloria Mundi’, takes a break from the intensity of the EP so far, slowing things down to begin with, then throwing us into an unforgiving breakdown. Just over 2 minutes long, this track has a torturous effect, engaging the listener through building tension and then tearing them down with an insane breakdown. Regarding ‘Sic Transit Gloria Mundi’, Mike outlined that ‘this track was a weird one. We had the other 5 fully demoed before we went in to record, but we wanted to add a track that took a breather from all the riffs and shouting, without being too soft and toothless. It had to suit the EP. So, we went in to record with half a demo that I had been working on and just kept building on it, adding weird layers and writing lyrics as we went. It turned out really cool in the end and has a very eerie feel to it’.
‘No One Likes A Rat’ hits ‘Slumtracks’ next. This was the second single to be released ahead of the EP and has turned out to be one of my favourite songs from the record. ‘No One Likes A Rat’ feels as though it's driven by confidence and sincerity. The assertive nature of this track bewitches the listener, fully enthralling them in the song’s narrative. The first impression that came from this song was that there were huge Knocked Loose influences. Stitched expressed that the tracks on this record reflect the band’s love for ‘Kublai Khan, Slipknot, Harms Way and a bit of Ocean Groves older material’.
The closing track for this EP is ‘Broken Mirror’ featuring Dan Crossley. ‘Broken Mirror’ immediately needs to be experienced live. The chaos and manic nature of this song is both experimental and intense. For me, ‘Broken Mirror’ is perhaps the most memorable song of the EP, featuring dog barks, insane riffs and a surprising and yet perfect rapping section. Asking Stitched about ‘Broken Mirror’, Mike summarised that ‘this song was one that kept getting changed every few weeks when I was writing it, it took a while to find the right flow that would keep it feeling like one track, rather than 2 or 3 mashed together. It’s about literally every person that can have a negative impact on you, whether it be bad friends, family, negligent governments etc and how easy it is for that to start showing through in yourself. So, it’s about recognising that and consciously unlearning it. We hadn’t gone into it intending to make a nu metal track; however, it’s certainly come out as one. But we all grew up on those bands, so it’s no surprise that it’s influenced the song, and will probably show up in future material’.
Stitched are ‘absolutely’ happy with the outcome of the EP and have said that: ‘Sam Bloor and Jonny at Lower Lane Studios absolutely nailed the sound we were after, they’re top gents and really know what they’re doing. We’ve been sat on it for a long time, so there’s been a lot of time to look back on it. There’s the odd few lyrics that I wish I’d have written differently, that maybe don’t come off quite as I meant, but overall, we think it's the best material we’ve made, and the best we’ve sounded so far’. Having fully immersed myself in this EP and having listened to these tracks on repeat, I would have to agree with Stitched that ‘Slumtracks’ is their most impressive work yet.
Stitched like the idea of releasing an album in the near future but have said that a shorter form EP may be on the cards for the next release. You can catch Stitched playing live shows across the country this year, with the next being in Nottingham on the 16th of February supporting Azazel & Starved, ‘who are killer’. From there, Stitched will be supporting Vendetta in Bolton, and will go on to play Head & Heart fest, in Newcastle, later this year.
You can listen to ‘Slumtracks’ now on all major streaming platforms and can find out more about the band here.
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