Showcasing a dynamic rock sound spanning from punk ferocity to moody momentum, Divided & Conquered is the enthralling new EP from Roses In December. The UK-based act describes the release as “basically us trying to process the absolute state of Britain right now — but doing it through a cartoon lens.” Also arriving with the EP is the return of Viz Comics cartoonist Lee Healey, who also created artwork for the band’s previous single “Inferno.” That track exuded a frustration with a world in tumult, and this EP further explores corrupt systems and overall societal chaos.
Roses In December’s punk-rock ethos and spirited thematic hold is aptly backed by a spontaneous creative process. “We decided to walk into the studio with no demos and no safety net,” the band says of the EP. “Just raw emotion. It’s the closest we’ve ever sounded to the practice room – slightly unhinged, on the brink of collapse, but somehow holding it together.” In an interview with us in 2014, the band mentioned using music as a way to let out frustration, and how humanity wasn’t biologically made for this modern world, and those sentiments continue to be delivered artfully throughout the EP’s commanding five tracks.
“Battleship Boomer” wastes no time in opening the album with an onslaught of heavy rock guitars. An unbridled, climactic vocal energy — with excellent shades of Manic Street Preachers — delights as swift yet murky guitars move with menacing ardor, while the lyrical themes within critique inhumane migration policies to a board game. Harnessing justified hate for awful people in power, “In the Channel of a Hate Crime” maintains a hint of the opener’s melodic movements, though set within a vastly more subdued initial build that flows with a more bouncy playfulness. The mid-point then accelerates into a distorted, brisker energy — a thorough display of the band’s ability to shift between tone and tempo with seamless entrancement.
Another standout track comes in “Sharks,” where a “sharks need to eat” vocal intensity moves within a twanging rock allure with touches of funky rhythmic charm. An extended cut of the excellent “Inferno” then arrives, stirring especially in the “don’t give up” vocal repetition, pounding rhythms, and soaring guitar solo. “Self-Pollution” then concludes the EP with a cinematic beginning, with howling winds moving into a more somber rock feeling, akin more to Jeff Buckley than the harder-rocking inspirations evident elsewhere. It’s a powerful send-off to a thrilling success of an EP from Roses In December.
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