PREMIERE: Bitter Kind Build Strong First Impressions with Debut Single ‘Pariah’
Every now and again Victoria, Australia gets hit with minor earthquakes shaking up the land but causing little to no damage. Recently a much bigger tectonic shift has broken Richter scales and opened a molten mouth gorge with an evil presence lurking within; the Bitter Kind.
New blood in the water means a resurgence of life in the hardcore scene, and Melbourne has no clue what they’re in for. For fans of Malevolence, ten56. & thrown you’ll enjoy the filthy array of sharp-toothed jaws Nathan Duke uses to tear apart his vocal duties piece by piece, boasting a heavier range of influences throughout premiere single ‘Pariah’. Flexing a strong foundation of ferocious slams and breakdowns so chaotic, the down tempo will slow real time so you can appreciate the art of broken teeth freshly spun kicked out of someone’s face barreling out of the pits.
Climbing the low chugged staircase of the intro, 'Pariah' swells with tension, building enough pressure to unleash its full-frontal assault picking up speed with fast-paced grooves all round. The drums do well to brighten the spaces between with cheeky ride hits and constant barrages of toms & mix cymbal fills. The rapid slides, pinches and eerie high end ring outs contain that dark, daunting, weighted feeling sewn deep in the songs structure. The chorus is surprisingly catchy, utilises minor chanting in key words which will reflect well with its audience interaction at future live shows.
Where hardcore goes, beatdown doesn’t stray too far. The mid-tune breakdown, littered with technical opens, killer kicks and those brutal lows tell us first hand Bitter Kind aren’t here for a short stay. Wrapping back around to the chorus with ease was expected in this style of song structure, but flipping the switch to down tempo was just enough to bring their first single to the next level of brutality. Additional elements of fret mutes and downward scale runs make it so much tastier and atmospherically impactful.
Wall of Sound had the pleasure of talking to Bitter Kind first and foremost, being an upstarting hard hitter means there’s a lot we don’t know, so let’s get some answers.
Picking a first release is always a tough decision to make, what made 'Pariah' say to yourselves - This is how we introduce Bitter Kind to the world!?
Nathan: We felt like it was one of the heavy hitters we have written and a good way to come out the gate swinging.
Vas: I feel like we decided to go with this song as it outlined the aggressive nature of our sound. We feel as if it's a perfect amount of a peek into what to expect from us!
It can be difficult to find people who put in the hard work and all gel together so well. What did Bitter Kind look for when recruiting their first and best roster of rockstars?
Nathan: I reached out to Vas through Instagram after he made a post looking for a band and we talked for ⅔ weeks about everything we wanted to do as a band before finally deciding to commit to the project and start proper. Bringing Tristan in was easy as I've known him my entire life and knew he wanted a band. It was more so just telling him that he's doing this now haha
Vas: We looked for like-minded people who had the drive, push and motivation to commit to the project and bring it to life. We started off as bandmates and over time have become friends through it. We pressed on until now letting ourselves be known to the scene
Tristan: I got a message one day that said I'm in a band and now I'm here.
What new flavour can you guys add to a vastly populated 'core scene?
Vas: We want to add diversity in a sense of blending core genres together to try and come up with our own chaotic sound. We all have different tastes in music and we want to try and take that variety and mix it together applying a little piece of ourselves as well
Being a Pariah isn't easy business. Feeling like an outcast or rejection of society; it sounds quite lonely. Were there any personal elements embedded in 'Pariah' that helped forge the song's creation?
Nathan: Most definitely! Each song we have written draws on some feeling or experience someone within the band has gone through and Pariah definitely does as well. When writing the lyrics it adds a layer of depth to them to draw from those things.
https://www.instagram.com/p/C6FUaX9Lpy9/
Will song themes be varied in story and subject or are we looking towards focusing on the darker, more relatable side of things?
Nathan: Definitely to the more relatable side of things, everything is written in some way or another about something real that's been experienced that everyone can relate too in a way.
Vas: There are definitely some pretty head on issues that we all resonate with through these songs. Especially with mental health how much we sort of grind and scrape through going about our daily lives.
As an up-and-coming act, there must be a lot of aspirations and goals in mind. Are there any special artists you'd like to share the stages or studios with?
Nathan: There are so many answers to this question haha! For me, it would be Fit For An Autopsy and Boundaries and I'd definitely like to work with Randy Lebouf who did the recent Acacia Strain and Boundaries records at some point!
Vas: If I was to share the stage with anyone it would definitely have to be Vein, Justice For The Damned and Body Prison. I'm a massive sweat for these bands
Tristan: Periphery for sure and Veil Of Maya. Born Of Osiris as well! Honestly to many to list haha
With your premiere song now released, when can we expect Bitter Kind’s first steps towards a live demonstration?
Nathan: We will have an announcement regarding this pretty soon!
Last but not least, what's next lads?
Nathan: More songs on the way! Definitely as many shows as we can too!
Bitter Kind, Better Music, keep track of these newbies, they’re not to be underestimated.
Interview by Ed Atlas @YourFavouriteMerchGuy
Bitter Kind is Nathan Duke (Vocals), Vas Papadopoulos (Guitar/Songwriting) and Tristan King (Drums)
Follow them on socials: Facebook | Instagram | YouTube
Pre-save ‘Pariah’ here
https://youtu.be/Qkxpv9DCiCs?si=FT7J0cePH_px9cKR
