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Rum Buffalo

Rum Buffalo prophesize the end of the world on the cacophonous ‘Screama Preacha’, the first taste of their debut LP ‘Bloodmoon’

What with our current moment in time making it hard (and somewhat irresponsible) to go out to a movie theatre, we will have to find our widescreen entertainment someplace else. So instead of settling in for a Roland Emmerich-style disaster flick about the end of the world, instead lose yourself in Rum Buffalo’s expansive, cacophonous sonic vision of doom. Written from the perspective of a nay-saying prophet waxing poetic about The End (and its nighness), ‘Screama Preacha’ is more than just a screed. A lot more, in fact—with backing vocals by a 13-piece choir, synthesizers, a horn section, blown-out guitar, and lyrics describing “Neon blood making a sea”, you could very easily state that this song is, in fact, a whole lot.

Good thing, then, that it’s a whole lot of goodness. From lead singer Jake Stevens’ pained howl piercing through the noise like a buzzing FM radio, to the chaotic yet eminently listenable production, ‘Screama Preacha’ presents a top notch musical journey—a madcap aural equivalent to Dante’s Divine Comedy. And just when you think you’ve heard it all, that Rage Against The Machine-esque chug sets in to clear space for MC Kathika (of the band Slamboree) to come in and spit some very welcome (and very fire) bars. If this is what the end of the world sounds like, well, we feel fine.

Rum Buffalo – Screama Preacha featuring Kathika: Rhythmically Filthy, Cinematically Flamboyant Prog Swing Hop

Rum Buffalo

If rhythmically filthy yet cinematically flamboyant Alt Rock is your bag, you may want to make room on your playlists for Rum Buffalo’s flamboyantly transfixing Prog Swing Hop single “Screama Preacha” featuring Kathika.

The progressive track utilises an impressive horn section which will reinvoke any love you harbour for Swing music. Yet, Screama Preacha is anything but archaic. The tensile friction within the soundscape allows this highly innovative mix to ooze seductive contemporary appeal as it evolves through offerings of Cinematic Indie Rock, Nu Metal, Funk Rock and Jazz.

Usually, you’d need to look to Mike Patton for offerings of such arrestive aural innovation, but Rum Buffalo has proven with Screama Preacha that they possess plenty of their own uniquely alchemic appeal.

The lockdown may have hindered Rum Buffalo’s summer plans, but they’ve got plenty more tracks in the pipeline io release throughout 2020.

Head on over to their website where you’ll find links to their releases and social media.

Review by Amelia Vandergast