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A gritty and raw sound that speaks the truth of social and political injustice.
by Leah Parks-Davies
7th of October 2021
Photo by Eevie Taylor (left)
Walking into one of Nihilist’s band rehearsals is honestly like walking into your local pub. The chatty light banter between band mates, met with taboo and raw topical issues they like to discuss creates an overwhelmingly safe environment.
Silent thinker of the group, Eevie sits in the corner fixing the drum kit she's using for the session. Without fuss from the boys or tech guys getting under her skin, she completes fixing the drum kit hassle free with the background noise of the boys bickering over pedals, a refreshing contrast to other female band members i've seen being hassled by tech and band members while setting up.
As well as Eevie, front man Jake Gaunt and Guitarist Paul Knipmeyer make up the three piece band that is a year in the making. Fresh out of Guildford, Nihilist are the newest addition to the current growing new grunge\ prog scene bursting out of Surrey and with their debut gig on the horizon the band are ready to plant their roots into the industry.
Many of their musical influences include Manic Street Preachers, Killing Joke, McLusky, Black Angel and Germs, but the majority of influences are not musical. Jake Gaunt explains how he always carries two books in his bass case; one of which is the outsider - a “quintessential nihilist book.” On top of this, Paul explains how without Rick and Morty he wouldn't have been introduced to existentialism.
The band spoke openly about their confrontational lyrics, using their own lives and others as inspiration. Songs like Craze written while guitarist Paul thought he was going to kill himself, reflect the dark and dry humour this band has as well as the nitty gritty topics they like to cover. Compared to more serious songs such as Obscene written about Stieg Larsson and the gang rape he witnessed at 15. Jake explains how his mum being a therapist is the reason he's so open and analytical of the world.
On top of their original songs, nihilist want to bring a backlog of reworked covers to their setlist, focusing on two main songs. The uptempo LightSaber CockingSucking Blues really shows the extent of the band's energy and talent, Whereas Devil's Face brings a more mainstream listener to the band while still reflecting their distorted ideals.
If you are a follower of the punk grunge scene remember the name Nihilist; with the dedication and talent of the band members this group should push themselves to the forefront of this modern resurgence of a dying art.