There are only a handful of songs out there that have a totally new and fresh sounding main riff/hook that will immediately catch listeners’ attention, and this song is a prime example of that. The alternate picking on clean guitars mixed with the heavy bass lines calls for a 2000s Post-Grunge Feeling, but what sets this song apart is its relatively slower tempo. You’d think that for the sound to be rich and full the band needs to play in faster tempos and double their time signature, but our guys here are not in need of that as they just opted for keeping the song mid-tempo, the drums pounding heavily and slowly all while the vocals soar with a thick and rich tone above it.

Now another 2000s nuance here is usually vocal distortion or screaming, but remember how I said these guys have a taste of their own…the lead vocals and the backing vocals are both so clear and so chest-y that they touch you and give you goosebumps while you can still decipher the lyrics and feel every word and every emotion they’re getting across…it’s a simple yet extremely successful equation. 

As we move from the more somber verses to the haunting chorus, the main riff/ progression changes into a slightly different variation and the vocals grow more gain and volume, which is both an amazing musical choice and a showcasing of stellar production and mixing work. 

All in all, this song’s instrumentation and vocals have something for everyone. It may not be as post-rock as the band’s previous work, but this song definitely shows us how much these guys are in love with the 2000s Alternative era, and how they constantly reinstate and reinvent the elements that shaped said era…all while keeping their own unique personality and musical fingerprint.

That being said…we can’t wait for the album, as we got a taste of some absolutely stunning creativity with “Indignant Swines”…

…so, let’s start with the mind and soul of the band…

Guild Theory is a duo, with Matt Smith on vocals and the multi-instrumentalist Rob Lewis…and between the both of them are an insurmountable amount of melodies, riffs, beats and mesmerizing vocal performance.

With their latest release, Guild Theory really manages to strike the perfect balance between pure prog rock-ism, complex syncopated rhythms and being an easily digestible piece of art for any fan of any genre…this is quite the achievement in itself…

…but…

…they don’t stop there, they really raise the bar on musicality with “Indignant Swines”…

The song starts with a rhythmic ambient guitar lick that instantly hooks the ears and the souls, with a very high level of “what’s coming next?” kind of effect…

…the drums enter the frame, simply amazing…complex, yet absorbed easily, Guild Theory continues to build up the song’s power and musical charisma through more layered harmonies by using vocals creatively, a mesmerizing string section and more ambient guitar licks that just blows the roof off.

Almost all of the elements that make “Indignants Swines” are superb, yet, when the vocals come in with its layered harmonies…instant musical bullseye.

Guild Theory describes “Indignant Swines” as a song that fits the storytelling concept and narrative of their upcoming album…and that its about the life of a dictator…they don’t like to say too much because they want the audience to listen and experience their musical narratives, then come up with the stories from the depths of their imagination.

“Indignant Swines” is an absolutely stunning display of musicality, rhythmic creativity and amazing vocal performances all tightly wrapped in a top notch production…it’s a highly recommended listen to any prog-rock fan, or even fan of unique musical charisma and solid storytelling elements.

We wish Guild Theory all the best in all of their endeavors…we can’t wait to hear more from the upcoming album.

Cheers!

Guild Theory‘s Despot opens with dark melancholic piano and an atmospheric, emotional vocal melody. It smoothly moves forward keeping its mood uncompromised with an escalating structure that adds a dynamic layer to its soft heart-hitting sound, producing a multi-layered formula that cements its dark sound while keeping the listeners hooked and following its subtle dynamic shifts. Despot has an amazingly well-written and arranged instrumentation, mixing its gothic-influenced mood with Guild Theory‘s rocking roots, while the vocal melody perfectly delivered the deep heartfelt touching vibes I believe Guild Theory desired, building a powerful connection with the fans and listeners in an irresistible flow that makes feel every single word and note.

Despot is a solid release with an authentic organic sound by Guild Theory, showing their full control of their vision and their mature writing as they carefully steered its dynamics to keep things interesting without compromising their mood. Looking forward to more from Guild Theory, keep on rocking guys. Cheers!

1- Cackled Smile

The first single that the duo released prior to the album. The brooding and dark synth brings a lot of Thirty Seconds To Mars Influence, but the percussion is unlike any other artist I’ve ever heard before. I can 9nly compare the beat of the drums to some oriental beats such as the famous Ma’soum, but I believe that this was unintentional and it made their beat have a special and authentic personality. The bass line will get you singing and humming along due to its grooviness…and last but not least, the vocals which are super ethereal and resonantly melancholic. What a fantastic start to the album!

2- Free From You

This one felt like I’d heard it before but I couldn’t tell where from…and this isn’t in any way due to lack of originality, on the contrary, it’s because there are too many influences and beloved genre tropes that balance this song between freshness and familiarity. With such personal and angsty lyrics comes impeccable guitar work on this track, as we can hear so many different techniques and creative lines. The synths were more dark than aggressive, when compared to the previous track, making this song’s instrumentation both distinct and in line with the story that its lyrics are telling.

3- Rust

The 2000s kid in me that grew up loving Evanescence and Linkin Park immediately fell in love with this song due to its extended vocal lines and how heart-shatteringly good they sound. I’m surprised I didn’t feel the 6 minutes passing as I listened to the piano and percussive ambient sounds that gave this song its ethereal atmosphere. A total masterpiece that felt much shorter than its duration…or maybe it was just me who wanted to listen to a lot more of those vocals and piano.

4- Switch

A highly industrial track with a very special kind of rhythm and an overall percussive atmosphere that feels so theatrical and cinematic…yes, I didn’t think it was possible to create such a mix at first too, but then I listened to this track. The vocals have some effects on them, but the chesty register with which they are sung made them sound very intimate and emotional to me. The song somehow felt informative and “making a statement” rather than being angsty and rebellious like some other songs. 

5- Overgrown

This song has the album’s titular phrase “streaks of light burn the sky”, but that’s not the only cool part of its lyrics. It’s been so long since we’ve heard a GOOD rock band writing GOOD social commentary in their lyrics like this. Moreover, the lead guitar work in this song is highly melodic but well-thought and well-spaced enough to let the percussive elements shine, and the drum lines truly do stick with you on this one. The ending part of the song has the album’s best vocal lines for me here, it’s long powerful phrases with vibrato kept to a minimum (if any) to create that nostalgic 2000s sense…and I’m totally here for it.

6- A Hundred Ways To Forget

A haunting and horrifyingly serene interlude with no vocals. You may say it’s the much-needed breather after the streak of powerful tracks we’ve just gone through.

7-The Haunt

The album’s longest and most dreamy track. This feels like the guys put their all into composing this one because the details of the harmonies, transitions, and changing tempo are much more complex than the previous tracks. The first two and a half minutes are an extended synth intro from which some elements continue and some don’t. The use of horns was very majestic and sophisticated here, making them shine amongst the other (intentionally) lo-fi elements- once again, it feels like an eye opening-moment in a movie soundtrack. It’s not until the 5-minute mark that the drums, bass, and guitars pick up some pace and play along with the synths and pianos in a way that complements that initial melody without copying it. Believe me when I tell you this is peak songwriting skill. The very gothic aesthetic of using distorted guitars with such a melancholic piano has been used to its fullest extent here because I know the clarity and simplicity of that harmonious part that’s repeated twice here will make it play on its own for days in my head. This is my favorite track on the album by a long shot.

8- Teenage Years

We hear a proper Alt. Rock arrangement this time, but I’m beginning to notice that the album’s melodies feel closely related. The likeness between these melodies is something I highly appreciate because of how it makes me feel like the band will have an instantly recognizable sound fingerprint to them. The transitions from lead melodies to chord progressions were pretty impressive here too, this album should set an example for all Alternative Rock bands that are struggling to make a new song and recycle old ideas instead… I won’t name names.

9- Outlaws

I’m a sucker for low-range bari vocals, and this track has an amazing vocal arrangement with some added backing harmonies and fantastic instrumentation to go along with it. The guitar tone brilliantly outshines the rest of the instruments and elements in this song for some reason…I just felt like I wanted to repeat to listen to more of that awesome tone and its effects. The lengthy bridge section of the song has the vocals and guitars playing a lot with the scale and changing things up, which made it all the more memorable. After that, we had a totally different section with a brief tremolo-picking part followed by one final chorus, followed by a climactic outro…we’ve established by now that these guys are anything but repetitive or formulating.

10- No Time to Sit and Think

A soulful vocal arrangement guides this power ballad into becoming one of the album’s most emotional moments. The vocals have an impeccable role in the emotional delivery, but we can’t deny the phenomenal drum line and its transitions too. As soon as the song picks up and gets heavier, the soul-ripping guitars take everything up a notch and make the song a lot more impactful.

11- Dark Machina

If there was an Alternative Rock version of The Sisters Of Mercy, then this is what it would sound like. The song has a recurring piano line, a groovy bass line, and drums that make you wanna get up and dance. Another thing we established about this album is how its drums have some of the best-thought-out lines ever. I like the overall jiggly vibe here and how it matches well with the dark timbre of the vocals. With that being said, the vocals were a little higher this time and they gave the vocalist a chance to show off his range and abilities…this one’s a contender, in my opinion, to give the band a breakthrough mainstream success.

12- Captors

The final song of this magnum opus record begins as a soft and emotional ballad with clear and strong vocals. Once the drums and guitars kick in, they elevate the mood as it is…without making a crazy change into a faster tempo or a heavier rhythm, and I really love that. I’m impressed by how the album closer is a very good representation of the skeleton of elements that represent the album, as if it summarizes what happened, without spoiling the special parts and surprises. A fantastic end to a fantastic journey.