{"id":19445,"date":"2014-04-22T00:00:15","date_gmt":"2014-04-22T00:00:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/?p=19445"},"modified":"2014-07-01T17:46:29","modified_gmt":"2014-07-01T17:46:29","slug":"ep-review-fishbone-intrinsically-intertwined","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/ep-review-fishbone-intrinsically-intertwined\/","title":{"rendered":"FISHBONE – Intrinsically Intertwined EP (2014) | Album \/ EP Reviews @ Metal Forces Magazine"},"content":{"rendered":"

FISHBONE
Intrinsically Intertwined EP<\/strong><\/span>
\n\"\"
\nControlled Substance Sound Labs (2014)<\/span>
Rating: 6.5\/10<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\n\n\n
<\/td>\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n
\n
<\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
<\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

I once recall an argument back in 1990 as to whether Fishbone were \u201cmetal\u201d. Yet, when one considers just how diverse \u201cheavy metal\u201d became around that time, it\u2019s always been unfair to attempt to pigeonhole any band. <\/p>\n

Of course, Fishbone were something away from the norm\u2019 so to speak; their effortless blend of soul, ska, funk and rock was often too zany and kaleidoscopic for the narrow-minded metalheads among us. Even so, one cannot argue with the band as a creative force. For me, they remain far more talented than the Red Hot Chili Peppers and have never succumbed to commercialism, despite releasing some classic tunes over the years.<\/p>\n

Intrinsically Intertwined<\/em> is the new five-track EP from the guys, an influential band who formed at the tail end of the 70s (in 1979) believe it or not, and who have released six EPs and seven studio albums in total. With this new release, we\u2019re treated to more of the same unpredictable fare.<\/p>\n

The EP opens with the sublime and soulful strains of \u2018Unstuck\u2019 with Walter Kibby\u2019s mellow trumpet lacing Angelo Moore\u2019s subtle tones, and that slapping bass of John Norwood Fisher. Sure, it\u2019s not metal at all, but Fishbone have embedded themselves into rock \u2019n\u2019 roll lore as artists of diverse sound and ideas. <\/p>\n

While \u2018Unstuck\u2019 has more in common with a steaming lump of funky, steaming soul, \u2018Interdependent\u2019 showcases what the band is really all about. Dosed in high quantities of funk and cosmic air, it\u2019s a track that rocks back and forth ever so gently as the trumpets collide over the rhythmic throb. It\u2019s not up there with \u2018Everyday Sunshine\u2019 or \u2018Sunless Saturday\u2019, but it\u2019s Fishbone once again expressing themselves and whatever direction they take, it\u2019s always advised to follow their yellow brick road and join in the fun. <\/p>\n

The third cut on offer is \u2018Bustin\u2019 Suds\u2019 with its driving guitar and those group chants. There\u2019s always something joyous about Fishbone, a summery blend of the comical and the cosmic. In spite of lacking an overall bite, it\u2019s a simple yet effective rock-steady pulse that gets your foot tapping. John Steward\u2019s drums are solid, providing a hazy backbone before we\u2019re treated to the orgiastic frenzy of \u2018Kung Fu Grip\u2019; a typically zany and frenetic Fishbone stomp, \u2018Kung Fu Grip\u2019 runs for just over two minutes but exists as merely some riotous, party jaunt laced with a zippy guitar. \u2018Whipper Snapper \u2013 Remix\u2019 brings the EP to a close; again, it\u2019s another cartoonish jerk and jig featuring accordion wheeze and daft lyrics. <\/p>\n

This EP is Fishbone at its most playful and cheeky. It certainly doesn\u2019t harbour the hard edge to keep the headbangers happy and it\u2019s far from being the greatest thing Fishbone has conceived over the years, but when a band is that demented in its policies we just have to go with their flow. It\u2019s been three years since any material, and while I would have preferred a full-length composition, Intrinsically Intertwined<\/em> will have to do for now.<\/p>\n

Neil Arnold<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

FISHBONEIntrinsically Intertwined EP Controlled Substance Sound Labs (2014)Rating: 6.5\/10 I once recall an argument back in 1990 as to whether Fishbone were \u201cmetal\u201d. Yet, when one considers just how diverse \u201cheavy metal\u201d became around that time, it\u2019s always been unfair to attempt to pigeonhole any band. Of course, Fishbone were something away from the norm\u2019 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1217],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19445","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-fishbone"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19445","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19445"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19445\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19450,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19445\/revisions\/19450"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19445"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19445"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19445"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}