Though Kent collective Graphic Nature has only been around since 2019, the band is making a convincing assertion that they should very well be included in the emerging class of UK's thriving class of modern heavy gamechangers.
Earlier this year, the band unloaded a four-track assault with the new skin EP - an emphatic debut for an already buzzwothy band that included bangers like "601" and "drain". Crafting a refined stylistic balance that takes it's inspirational cues from the 2000's American metal wave, combined with the bounce of nu-metal's glory days, Graphic Nature quickly transitioned from regional sensation to international prospects.
Harnessing the hostility captured on record, the band has spent much of 2022 translating that volatility live, submitting highlight performances at 2000Trees and most recently Burn It Down Festival. Supporting the likes of Vended, Employed to Serve, Vexed and Cancer Bats, Graphic Nature's range, encompassed in their amalgam of late 90s DnB and Y2K-like riffage, make so the band fit with a broad spectrum of heavy.
Earlier this summer, the band launched a tandem of singles with "Into the Dark" and "Bad Blood" that seemed to signify that Graphic Nature was further finding it's stride. The mesh of electronic accents, slab-heavy guitars and frontman Harvey Freeman's unhinged delivery ultimately gelled in a way that finally saw Graphic Nature as less nostalgic and throughly coming into their own.
Case in point on Graphic Nature's most recent outing, "White Noise".
Submitting a modernized iteration of the subgenre, Graphic Nature isn't mimicking the nostalgia of nu-metal. The band's latest single serves well in treating the niche with respect, unearthing it's full potential and emphasizing the performative power of a category that fell victim to parody. It's that subtle stylistic balance however that ensures Graphic Nature are well deserving of the hype. Less about flair, the band's ability to craft dynamic, dominant tunes is what has launched them into the conversation of new artists that matter with tracks like "White Noise" further proving the point.
Taking a cerebral approach to aggressive music, the band addresses compelling subject matter thematically - ensuring that their style points are complimented by their substantive weight. Vocalist Harvey Freeman explains,
"White Noise is about sensory overload and the overwhelming feeling of claustrophobia that neurodivergent humans experience on a near daily basis. It’s a horrible feeling of helplessness and anxiety that nothing can really help other than a quiet space and something to take your mind off of the situation.
We wanted to create something visually that could portray how that experience feels. The room used with the exposed hole in the wall was the perfect fit paired with the mirrors in particular scenes. We wanted it to almost look like you were inside the mind of someone going through that feeling."
Stream the Knotfest premiere of "White Noise" from Graphic Nature via Rude Records below.
