These days, you need a fully developed sense of the theatrical to get yourself noticed in the hard rock/shiny metal genres and Liverpool’s Novacrow have taken such an approach to lift the five songs on their “Criminal Mastermind” EP right out of the power chord mediocrity.
These songs do have their stereotypical touches – as you might expect – but that desire to tell a story with a song serves this band well and, in amongst all the riffing, there lurks a band with a clear desire to entertain with the title song, “Criminal Mastermind”, and the offbeat “Are You Happy” shining brightest in their firmament.
It might not sound like Novacrow are much different from the crowd but, as is always the case, it is the song that makes the difference and “Criminal Mastermind” proves that Novacrow are a band with the necessary songs. Naturally, this EP is best enjoyed when played loud.