As the UK is the harbour of our closest thriving and world-renowned music scene it is only natural that many of Ireland’s unsigned and indie label bands take on a similar sound and persona to the UK’s most well-known and trendy bands; we have countless mini-libertines, dozens of Arctic Monkey wannabes and even Razorlight have a few clones here on Irish soil. Medz have taken a much less obvious approach to their music by taking on a genre that has been largely overlooked by both bands from the UK and Ireland; Post-grunge rock, more popularly adopted by less-mainstream American rock bands such as Three Day’s Grace.
The Psycho Fever EP is the perfect prototype for their take on the genre of rock that falls somewhere between hard and soft. Avoiding the screaming angst of grunge and the whingeing vocals of soft-rock, Medz have found quite a comfortable balance with catchy and often intricate guitar riffs and melodic yet fierce vocals. Breathing For No Reason is instantly one of the most noteworthy songs of the five. The music is fast paced and rolling in great contrast to less-than-outstanding lyrics and slower, tempered vocals. Opposing the tempo and feel between the vocals and the music is often risky business for a band, but Medz have carried it off superbly in this track.
Another interesting track on the EP is the surprisingly fantastic Sliding Doors. It certainly stands out among the other tracks with astoundingly simple, yet powerful guitar overriding the dark undertones synonymous with the post-grunge era. From start to finish the song is pounding and compelling; without a doubt the most remarkable song on the EP. The only let down of the five songs is Enemies as there is little to draw in this listener; it is average, for lack of a more fruitful description, however this does not take away from the strength of the EP, particularly when it is followed by the loud and technically brilliant Bleeding Me, which has more than a touch of Biffy Clyro about it.
Medz are an unknown band; they have had little to no radio play, but with an EP as strong as this one there is no reason it can’t be coupled with the right attitude to make them one of the most sought after bands in Ireland. The market is there for a band that produces these kind of well mastered rock numbers, so now it is all about the push that should follow