Route One Or Die

the first full length killer from three trapped tigers. a group who've forged an uncanny chemistry through endless touring and searching out the fringes of musical dynamism. not simple post-rockers though, the majority of 'route one or di'e's' numbers started life as melodies played out on leader tom's piano.as such, tracks have a focus and ferocity more commonly associated with acts whose material comes together in a practice space. a remarkable act with incredible ability, a studied edge that sets them aside from any peers you might want to (probably wrongly) peg them beside (please, this is unquestionably not post-rock). best of all, their exploration of new textures and insatiable ambition to go further never gets in the way of the desire to rock out '8til all are a mess of sweaty grins and clenched fists. and that, perhaps, is what's most brilliantly unexpected about 'route one or die': you might well start the album thinking it's fare for weirdo-beardo types with catalogue numbers ingrained on the brain, but you'll come away moved, touched by a record with a great human heart at its core. sure, it fizzes and crackles, pulses and groans, robotics churning - but underneath its sharp, steely exterior there's a rawness and passion that can't be denied, let alone defined by categorical customs.