At the precise moment Feral Children launches into “On A Frozen Beach”, the fifth track off their sophomore release Brand New Blood, the ferocious percussion kicks into gear. There’s a key element here: the percussion is lent by front-man and standing percussionist Jeff Keenan as well as a second drummer on the trap set. First hearing the song, I noted that it sounded as though the wild, feral side of the band had been contained to a degree. And that concept is fully realized in Brand New …

“On A Frozen Beach” finds Seattle’s Feral Children traveling a slightly different path for their upcoming sophomore release, Brand New Blood. Where their debut Second To The Last Frontier featured ferocious yells and wild erratic percussion quite true to their given moniker, “On A Frozen Beach” is in comparison quite tame. Those early elements remain, but they are now masked by a so-called return to civilization.

Yes, War Tapes sound a bit like The Killers. Yes, they seem to be an 80’s influenced bunch of glam rockers. But, look past your pretentious preconceptions for one moment. Then just listen. These guys rock. And they rock steady. The Continental Divide is an album of pure POWER, as well as grace. If you stop to look for their originality, it will be bloody obvious.

“Dreaming Of You” was a track off War Tapes‘ self-titled EP, which hit via Sarathan Records sometime last year. Well, it appears again on the upcoming War Tapes release The Continental Divide. The song is an excellent snippet of the sound War Tapes encompasses.

Written by Fense
Woah. Where the hell did Sarathan Records come from!? One moment I’m hanging out, minding my own damn business and dreaming of great rock bands and the next moment they’re signing them! First to catch my attention was Seattle’s very own Feral Children, giving SXSeattle one hell of a great performance at SXSW this year. Now there’s War Tapes.

Lead singer Jeffrey Keenan has the voice of a younger Isaac Brock (Modest Mouse), if not the wild-eyed nature. His nature is his own and you can see it when he grabs the drum-sticks—that intensely focused look in his eyes. Feral Children have come to be a dominant name in Seattle thanks to these performances and their debut LP, Second To The Last Frontier, is finally ready for public consumption.