Leeds based five piece Ourfamous Dead have been around for a couple of years now, mixing up metallic punk sounds with electronic beats, and have been touring and sharing stages with the likes of Funeral For A Friend and The Blackout. Citing influences such as Enter Shikari and My Passion, here they offer up their debut EP, 'I Am Human', for aural examination.

'Rate My Hate' opens with an infectious keyboard refrain before a metallic riff sets the scene, and it comes on like a hardcore Pendulum to these ears. Vocalist AJ Reeves spits and snarls the lyrics like he means it here. The guitars are low in the mix and take a back seat which doesn't really agree with me, but it's an infectious tune with some neat vocals that make it work. 'Untitled',  with its infectious gang vocals, is the highlight, an energetic, hook filled two and a half minutes of teenage angst. It's a more punk-lite and anthemic tune guaranteed to get the dance floor of any club jumping, with a guitar solo to boot it gets the thumbs up from me.

'Great And Inevitable (Change)' is a more subdued affair, using a highly repeated vocal line, maybe too repetitive for its own good. Again, good gang vocals and clever drum patterns give it the interest it needs to escape the doomed skip button. 'Untitled Part Two', with its prog heavy keyboard riff, mixes it up, showing a depth and confidence to their songwriting, but the vocals lack that certain something in the shouty department; maybe he needs a good kick in the shins when recording to get the full aggression out!

Ourfamous Dead are a band who are not afraid to push the boundaries of punk rock and dance beats: what they lack in imaginative song titles they make up for with raw aggression, good melodies and a certain hunger that only a young band can possess. That said they do sound like a young band, and have a lot to learn. Their confidence shows through in the songs and 'I Am Human' is a good introduction to a band that could well go places.

With a debut album promised in 2012, a growing fan base and good touring experience under their collective belts the future looks bright for Ourfamous Dead.

www.ourfamousdead.com