Higher Power (band)
Higher Power are an English hardcore punk band formed in Leeds, West Yorkshire in 2014. They have released two full-length studio albums, with their second album, 27 Miles Underwater, being their major label debut through Roadrunner Records. In a 2020 poll by Revolver magazine, they were voted the most likely contemporary band to breakthrough into the mainstream.[1] They are considered a part of the New Wave of British Hardcore.[2]
Higher Power | |
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Origin | Leeds, West Yorkshire, England |
Genres | |
Years active | 2014–present |
Labels | Roadrunner, Flatspot, Venn |
Associated acts | Big Cheese, Blood Eagle, Fade, Blind Authority |
Website | higherpowerleeds |
Members |
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History
In 2014, drummer Alex Wizard moved from London to Leeds and then began writing music with his brother Jimmy Wizard.[3] They intended to record just a single demo, inspired by the sound of Leeway and Merauder.[4] The band took its name from the Subzero song of the same name.[5] The pair then enlisted guitarists Louis Hardy and Max Harper, and began to search for a vocalist, however unable to find anybody, Jimmy handed bass duties to Ethan Wilkinson and began singing himself.[6] Their debut self-titled demo tape was released in 1 February 2015. They released their debut EP Space To Breathe on 20 August the same year. In March 2016, they played a number of dates on the east coast of America, including a spot at United Blood Festival.[4] Their debut album Soul Structure was released on 19 May 2017.[7] On 13 August 2017, they opened for Turnstile on their sole UK date of the year, at the Brudenell Social Club in Leeds.[8] In September 2017, they opened for No Warning on the Life or Death Tour, along with Vein, Twitching Tongues and Backtrack.[9] In June 2018, they played Download Festival.[10] In September 2018, they headlined a free show at London's Dr. Martens store, with support by Arms Race and Stages in Faith.[11] In April and May 2019, they toured the U.S. is support of Knocked Loose, the Acacia Strain and Harm's Way.[12] In August 2019, they performed at Reading and Leeds Festivals and Two Thousand Trees Festival.[13][14]
In September 2019, they signed to Roadrunner Records, and announced that their sophomore album 27 Miles Underwater would be released 24 January 2020[15][16] and opened for Vein on their North American tour.[17] On 6 September 2019, they released their first single from the album titled Seamless.[18] On 12 November, they album's second single Low Season was released.[19] From 20 January 2020 to 28 January, they went on a North American co-headline tour with Take Offence and support from Drain.[20] On 24 January 2020, they released their sophomore album 27 Miles Underwater.[15] The album's third and final single was released 19 January 2020, titled Lost in Static.[21] From January 29 to 9 February, they headlined their own North American tour, with support from Life’s Question, Queensway and Hangman. From 16 February to 6 March, they opened for Beartooth on their European headline tour, with addition support from the Amity Affliction.[20] From 10 to 14 August 2020, they will play the first Knotfest at Sea.[22]
Musical style and influences
The band have been categorised as hardcore punk,[4][5][23] melodic hardcore,[24][25] post-hardcore[26] and crossover thrash.[4][27] Their music merges groovey New York hardcore-influenced instrumentals with melodic vocals and dynamic rhythm changes,[28][29] often incorporating elements of alternative rock, sludge metal,[30] punk rock, thrash metal, shoegazing, grunge,[31] post-grunge, funk metal and screamo.[32] Revolver describes their sound as "a singular mix of hardcore, alt rock and funk that evokes Deftones, Jane's Addiction and Bad Brains".[33] In an article for Metal Hammer, Dannii Leivers described it as combining "80s metal influences, lush 90s alt and Alice In Chains sludge, doused in snotty Suicidal Tendencies’ attitude".[30] Andrew Sacher of BrooklynVegan, described their first album as "’90s New York hardcore and alt-metal worship", while calling their second album closer to alternative rock, despite still retaining elements of hardcore.[34]
They have cited influences including Leeway, Merauder,[4] Only Living Witness,[5] Life of Agony,[7] Minor Threat,[35] Maximum Penalty, Alice in Chains, Crown of Thornz,[6] Turnstile, Metallica, Suicidal Tendencies,[36] Jane's Addiction, Helmet[37] and Deftones.[38][39] Vocalist Jimmy Wizard, in particular, has cited groups such as Glassjaw, Deftones, Shift, Less Than Jake and Linkin Park as influences on his vocal style.[40][3]
Members
- Current
- Jimmy "J-Town" Wizard – lead vocals (2014–present), bass (2014)
- Louis Hardy – guitar (2014–present)
- Max Harper – guitar (2014–present)
- Alex Wizard – drums (2014–present)
- Ethan Wilkinson – bass (2014–present)
Discography
- Studio albums
- Soul Structure (2017)
- 27 Miles Underwater (2020)
- EPs
- Space To Breathe (2015)
- Live albums
- Live In Notts (2015)
- Demos
- Higher Power (2015)
Accolades
Nominated work | Year | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
Soul Structure | 2017 | Revolver - Best Album | #10[41] |
Higher Power | 2020 | Heavy Music Awards - Best UK Breakthrough Band | Nominated[42] |
References
- "FAN POLL: 5 BANDS MOST LIKELY TO BREAKOUT IN 2020". Revolver. Retrieved 29 January 2020.
- Alva, Freddy. "The New Wave of British Hardcore". Retrieved 7 August 2019.
- "Interview with Jimmy Wizard of HIGHER POWER" (Podcast). Retrieved 16 February 2020.
- EPSTEIN, DAN. "MEET HIGHER POWER: POSITIVE HARDCORE WITH "SOUND NO ONE ELSE WAS TRYING"". Revolver. Retrieved 24 October 2019.
- Gautier, Alexis. "WHEN HARDCORE GOES GRUNGE". Retrieved 24 October 2019.
- "Higher Power". Retrieved 24 October 2019.
- Morton, Luke. "Higher Power: Hardcore without boundaries". Metal Hammer. Retrieved 24 October 2019.
- "TURNSTILE ANNOUNCE LEEDS HEADLINE SHOW WITH HIGHER POWER AND INSIST". Retrieved 25 October 2019.
- "TOURING WITH UK HARDCORE HEROES HIGHER POWER LOOKS LIKE THE MOST FUN EVER!". Kerrang!. Retrieved 25 October 2019.
- "THE BRONX, THRICE, ROLO TOMASSI AND MORE ADDED TO DOWNLOAD FEST 2018". Retrieved 24 October 2019.
- "HIGHER POWER ARE PLAYING THE DR MARTENS BOOT ROOM TOMORROW". Kerrang!. Retrieved 25 October 2019.
- "KNOCKED LOOSE, THE ACACIA STRAIN, AND HARM'S WAY ANNOUNCE US TOUR". Kerrang!. Retrieved 25 October 2019.
- Simpson, Becton. "IN-DEPTH: HIGHER POWER – MORE THAN HARDCORE". Retrieved 24 October 2019.
- Rajani, Deepika. "Reading and Leeds 2019 line-up: full festival schedule, headliners stage times and everything else". i. Retrieved 24 October 2019.
- "HEAR HIGHER POWER CHANNEL DEFTONES ON EXPLOSIVE NEW SONG "SEAMLESS"". Revolver. Retrieved 24 October 2019.
- Morton, Luke. "HIGHER POWER ANNOUNCE NEW ALBUM 27 MILES UNDERWATER". Kerrang!. Retrieved 24 October 2019.
- "VEIN ANNOUNCE FALL NORTH AMERICAN TOUR". Kerrang!. Retrieved 24 October 2019.
- "HEAR HIGHER POWER CHANNEL DEFTONES ON EXPLOSIVE NEW SONG "SEAMLESS"". Revolver. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
- "HIGHER POWER RELEASE NEW VIDEO FOR LOW SEASON". Kerrang!. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
- Smith-Engelhardt, Joe. "HIGHER POWER ADD HEADLINING SHOWS TO ALBUM LAUNCH TOUR". Alternative Press. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
- Kamiński, Karol. "HIGHER POWER share new song "Lost In Static"". Retrieved 21 February 2020.
- DIVITA, JOE. "Slipknot + 8 More Bands Announced for 2020 Knotfest at Sea Festival Cruise". Loudwire. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
- LeSuer, Mike. "PREMIERE: Higher Power Learn to Swim in "Seamless" Video". Flood Magazine. Retrieved 24 October 2019.
- EPSTEIN, DAN. "THE UNSTOPPABLE RISE OF HIGHER POWER". Revolver. Retrieved 21 January 2020.
- "ardcore Upstarts Higher Power's Moody New Song "Lost in Static"". Retrieved 21 January 2020.
- Cohen, Ian. "Higher Power 27 Miles Underwater". Pitchfork. Retrieved 7 February 2020.
- Kamiński, Karol. "Leeds crossover thrash punks HIGHER POWER Release Video For "Four Walls Black"". Retrieved 24 October 2019.
- Ranjanathan, Branan. "Higher Power Soul Structure". Exclaim!. Retrieved 25 October 2019.
- Connick, Tom. "Outbreak Fest's tenth edition was a visceral, thrilling celebration of the last true subculture". NME. Retrieved 25 October 2019.
- Leivers, Dannii. "Higher Power: meet the band redefining hardcore for a new generation". Metal Hammer. Retrieved 29 January 2020.
- HAHN, BRYAN. "Higher Power are all out of hope in "Low Season" video". The Fader. Retrieved 29 January 2020.
- Breihan, Tom. "Stream Higher Power's New Album 27 Miles Underwater". Stereogum. Retrieved 29 January 2020.
- "WET AND WILD: GO BEHIND THE SCENES OF HIGHER POWER'S "SEAMLESS" VIDEO". Revolver. Retrieved 24 October 2019.
- Sacher, Andrew. "UK punks Higher Power made the first great rock album of 2020". BrooklynVegan. Retrieved 29 January 2020.
- Morton, Luke. "Higher Power's essential hardcore mixtape". Metal Hammer. Retrieved 25 October 2019.
- Young, Nik. "Higher Power - Soul Structure album review". Metal Hammer. Retrieved 25 October 2019.
- Morton, Luke. "Listen to Higher Power's debut album Soul Structure". Metal Hammer. Retrieved 24 October 2019.
- RENSHAW, DAVID. "The 20 best rock songs right now". The Fader. Retrieved 24 October 2019.
- WINKIE, LUKE. "SEE HIGHER POWER FACE PERILS OF FIRE AND WATER IN NEW "SEAMLESS" VIDEO". Revolver. Retrieved 24 October 2019.
- MURRAY, ROBIN. "Influences: Higher Power". Retrieved 29 January 2020.
- "20 BEST ALBUMS OF 2017". Revolver. Retrieved 24 October 2019.
- "Heavy Music Awards Announce 2020 Finalists". Retrieved 26 February 2020.