Negative Frame are about to release their awesome Break The Ice debut, and as the rising Brit hardcore outfit reveal, it's an album fuelled by determination, brotherhood, and a refusal to let negatives block the positives...
When you think of the sort of locations that might prove key in the development of a young hardcore band, St Albans Cathedral is unlikely to come to mind. But if you were passing a decade or so back, you might have spied a few unruly kids causing trouble in the vicinity.
“We used to sit out there smoking weed when we were teenagers all the time,” laughs Negative Frame guitarist Olly Coyne. “Skateboarding, being too loud for the cathedral...”
They recently returned to their old stomping ground to film the video for Sorrow & Solitude, one of the highlights of their long-awaited debut full-length Break The Ice. An epic piece that incorporates the heart-shredding feel of turn-of-the-century metalcore, the song shows how far the band have come since getting started in 2017. As well as the beatdown-friendly heavy hardcore you might expect, the album includes influences from grunge and ‘80s hard rock, and even acoustic guitars.
“It’s been an evolution,” explains Olly. “The riffs have become darker and more melodic as we’ve grown older. We love bands like Thin Lizzy and Iron Maiden who do harmonies, and that’s really grown on us. With George (Evil, guitar) joining the band we’re able to pull that off live now.”
“We don’t wanna be stuck doing one thing,” expands vocalist Kesari Gorin. “We wanna have the freedom to do whatever kind of music we want. We’re just having fun!”
That fun exists against a backdrop of intense emotions, however, in some instances drawn from subject matter very close to home. Themes of mental health and suicide prevention are at the forefront of Cut Throat and Cold Nights, songs influenced by the loss of Kesari’s best friend Charlie at the age of 18.
“I met him at school,” remembers the frontman. “I was not into metal at all at that time, I was like 12, 13. But we started listening to a lot of death metal and black metal, like Deicide and Mayhem, and then it just progressed. He was a big part of my personality growing up, he’s the reason I am who I am. If he could listen to the album he’d be proud.”
Another challenge Kesari has had to face is a debilitating medical condition, something he faces up to with a sense of defiance, his frustrations becoming audible as he talks.
“I was born with bilateral congenital talipes, and it’s progressively gotten worse over the years,” he explains. “It’s gotten to the point where I had a walking stick on this tour we just played in Europe. I still try and do what I can onstage, I still fucking throw spin kicks and jump around, but people don’t see the day after that when I’m in a lot of pain and can’t really get around. But as much as it affects me, we just crack on. Whatever pain I go through live, I’m gonna deal with it just to play, cos it’s the most important thing in my life, getting onstage, playing shows.”
“I think it would be cool for this to feel more inclusive for disabled people,” adds Olly. “I want people to be able to resonate with that power that Kesari holds onstage.”
“I hope it’s an example for some people (with medical conditions), that you don’t have to just stay at home,” Kesari expands. “If you wanna come to a show, you can come to a show in a wheelchair, it’s fine.”
The quintet, completed by bassist Mark Maccutchan and drummer Luke Walker, have all been mates since college days, and both Kesari and Olly are keen to emphasise that Negative Frame are a family. The singer might no longer be able to participate in the skating that first bonded them as teenagers, but he’s determined to stay positive about everything this band of brothers can achieve.
“We’re very serious, and very emotional, but we do have a good fucking time! And the last song on the album, Another Way, has a sense of positivity. As much as you can, let go of all the pain that you’ve been through, and all the trauma. Let go of everything and try and think of something good to look forward to.”
Something good? Well, Break The Ice is something great – a new high for a band whose continuing drive to smash through adversity has resulted in a cracking set of killer tunes. Time to jump in and join them.
Break The Ice is released on August 7 via Blood Blast.
Read this next:
