Bleech 9:3- 'Cannonball'
Fiery Irish 4-piece Bleech 9:3 release 3rd single ‘Cannonball’ to an audience that is now perpetually craving more.
Bleech 9:3 have set the alternative indie scene on fire as of late with their aggressively punctual and tenacious tone, and their 3rd release is no different. This band have a very special energy about them, mainly spreading through word of mouth and live shows, making the project feel secretive in a fight club kind of way. This lack of major promotion and consistent social media pestering is integral to the excitement that has been drummed up around both their live shows and their single releases. Having seen them supporting SHAME, I can confirm, this is no hype train, this is a full-blown coup of not only the way alternative indie bands will produce music in future but the way in which the scene itself is viewed.
Bleech 9:3 have all the makings of a genre-defining band, and ‘Cannonball’ is an excellent leap forward in making this happen; their synchronicity and skill on display in this track shines through each individual member. Opening on a cold and callous riff constructed through picks and bends and coupled with plenty of reverb helps set the bleak atmosphere for the verse parts of this track. This brooding melancholy is directly contrasted by the cascading and brutal bridge sections; the payoff of these low verses is immediate and plentiful, and really helps the song evolve from a trudging hallway sequence from a horror movie into a burning and expressive stick of dynamite. The musicianship and their ability to play with the dynamics throughout the track is second to none, and while the Wunderhorse comparisons may be where the listener’s mind goes initially, if you look deeper, this band has a much richer and individual identity than that; their music seems dramatic yet brutally honest, taking heavy influence from grunge bands like Alice in chains and pearl jam and coupling this with some darker alternative indie bands like Wunderhorse and Fontaines D.C. this amalgamation of influence creates a very interesting blend of sonic brilliance that I am sure they will only continue to expand upon.
If there is one thing Bleech 9:3 has continuously done for me through their releases, it is blow me away. Every single track has the feel and intensity of a band that has been creating together for an eternity, and for such a young project to hold such deep promise truly inspires and impresses me. There is beauty in every ounce of their creative process, and this beauty is only amplified through their eerie and brilliantly captivating live shows. Bleech 9:3 is bound to have a long and continuously growing career, and to be able to watch in awe is something I find great solace in. I suggest you all do the same.
Words by Josh Pook
