Rewind the clock back 10 years, and all seemed very promising for the upcoming rock group Marmozets. Cultivating an energetic sound from a range of influences as diverse as Dillinger Escape Plan and Architects, they appeared to heading to wider success.
Tunes like "Move Shake Hide" and "Captivate You" exemplified how they refined their eclectic influences into something truly their own. Their third album in 2017 seemed to only further signify at the time that things were coming good for the Yorkshire group, at the time consisting of - and founded by - two sets of siblings: Becca, Josh and Sam Macintrye, with Jack and Will Bottomley. But despite how things seemed, all came to sudden pause in 2018 with the group going on hiatus.
Although it wasn't clear when and if the band might return, their characteristic style had seen them retain a decent and passionate following. Occasional updates kept fans informed of the band's goings-on, such as Becca and Jack's marriage, and following child too. But an exact return wasn’t clear until two years with the band signing on to The Netwerk and officially confirming their reunion.
And so, this brings the long awaited third album, Co.War.Dice into focus. After such a long pause, the band could have returned in a variety of different directions: picking up where things left off with their youthful, math rock meets post hardcore influenced alternative sound, or going in a new direction entirely.
The result is somewhere in the middle of those, with opener "Kiss from a Mother" a searing bar-brawler rocker of a track, while "New York" follows and is reminiscent of the prog alt-rock style of contemporaries Demob Happy. A combination of a rocking main riff dialled in with so much fuzz the lines between synth and guitar are almost blurred completely.
Although there is much that feels familiar here to those in the know with Marmozets, this isn't to say it is all the same. The youthfulness and electric energy the band made their mark with is still here in abundance, but there is a flair that keeps things fresh and exciting to see what twist comes next. From the moodier tones of "Swear I'm Live", to the punchiness and fast pace of "Like Last Night", there is variety in abundance on what is a solid return.
