London rock band Derange, whose name has connotations of insanity, irregularity and craziness, state that their main influences are bands such as Rage Against The Machine, Limp Bizkit and Deftones, however, their musical style is similar to Lacuna Coil. This comparison is not just because their lead vocalist is female, it is because Cat Pereira’s are both melodic and haunting. The main difference between Cat and Cristina Scabbia is that Cat not only sings like an angel, she also growls like a demon too; her harsh vocals in particular are extremely powerful.

One of the most interesting tracks on their self-released debut album, The Awakening (self-released) is ‘The Thinker’, which has an almost Jekyll and Hyde feel to it. The melodic parts of the song are almost relaxing, whereas the heavier parts of the song are extremely powerful and aggressive. While not an unusual tactic, many bands often try to juxtapose different elements into their sound, however, Derange have managed to do this successfully.

‘Echo’ is a ferocious track full of technical guitar riffs and fast-paced drum beats. It is hard to describe ‘Echo’ as anything other than energetic and it would be interesting to see how this song would work live. If there is one Derange song that you need to listen to on repeat it is definitely this one.

It is obvious that Derange have spent a lot of time trying to create an album which showcases the diversity of Cat’s vocals, and it has definitely paid off. Their melodic yet aggressive musical style is nothing new, but Derange have put their heart and soul into an impressive debut album.

7.0/10

JULIA CONOPO