Enter Shikari

Photo credit: Skiddle

Hailing from Hertfordshire, Enter Shikari’s musical journey has taken them all over the world since their formation in 2003, notably frequenting the Reading and Leeds festivals, taming seething crowds in the thousands. The next stop for Rou Reynolds and co. on their Stop the Clocks European tour, is Exeter’s party hub, The Lemon Grove itself, on Friday 7th December.

Enter Shikari’s career has been peppered with awards and it’s plain to see why. Critics cannot help but turn their heads towards the eclectic mix of sounds that they use to blast through the monotony of conventional music. Their unique blend of influences, spanning from metal to dubstep has created a musical genre of its own, aptly dubbed ‘electronicore’. An initiate listener may indeed find themselves blown away after hearing sung, screamed and rapped vocals, placed over metal and post-hardcore guitar and heavy synth, with breakdowns and bass wobbles abound. An Enter Shikari gig is best described as sampling all the music from each floor of a nightclub, in one night, or sometimes, all at once.

This potential assault to the senses is an intimidating prospect to be sure, but fear not. The constant evolution of this band, since their debut album Take to the Skies up to their current (and fourth) studio album The Spark, creates a broad spectrum of tracks to trigger everything from thrashy pandemonium to ambient swaying in the audience.

So get to the Grove and experience true catharsis. Whether you find your release in chanting (or in my case, tunelessly yelling) the anthemic choruses, or getting lost in the (Sssnake)pit during the breakdowns, there’s truly something for every sort of gig-goer to enjoy. But don’t just take my word for it, I’ll see you on the 7th