Words and photos by: Emily Howarth
Artwork by: Viviana Almas
This is the second album from the Cornish-based alternative trio, Rizts, and it’s a bold evolution of their raw, experimental sound. Before diving into the album itself, let’s meet the band: Noah Warnes on drums, Connor Childs on bass, and Billy Mattock on guitar and vocals. Together, they form Rizts, a collective known for crafting what can only be described as perfectly imperfect experimental punk, infused with a palpable sense of angst.
From start to finish, this album is one of the most satisfying, “itch-scratching” records I’ve come across this year. Rizts manages to bottle up chaos, blending intricate time signatures with deeply expressive lyrics. Expect a flood of fuzzed-out guitars, layered with gritty textures and noise, coupled with some of the most inventive percussion and dynamic shifts. Childs’ basslines are the backbone, ranging from walking riffs to heavy, distorted chords, creating a locked-down foundation.
It’s cliché to say, but this album truly feels like a journey — each shift, mood, and tempo change painting its own distinct picture with a mix of moods, tempos, genres and dynamic range all tied together as one neat little package in the form of a 12-inch Vinyl record.
Let’s walk through a few tracks from the album.
Track 2 – Feeding the Rich
“Feeding the Rich” was one of the standout singles chosen to debut before the album, and after the first listen, it’s clear why. The track opens with heavy, punchy chords delivered in a catchy 1-2-3 rhythm before transitioning into an eerie guitar melody that reverberates through the mix, along with Mattock’s lo-fi vocal tones which we are used to hearing and are a huge part of the Rizts sound.
Then, without warning, we are sharply thrown into broken, noisy, distorted guitar tones that cut through the atmosphere. This pattern repeats, creating a hypnotic yet chaotic energy. As the track progresses, a fast-moving bassline emerges, running up and down with urgency, supported by rapid percussion that builds a sense of tension and unrest, culminating in a barrage of hard, distorted guitar tones that drive it to a heavy, chaotic finish.
Track 4 – beneath the bodies
Track four is everything I hoped for from Rizts — and more! In my opinion, it’s a well-rounded, dynamic track that delivers on all fronts. It opens with a repeated guitar phrase and clean vocals generously coated in delay and reverb, creating almost an eerie, atmospheric start. But just when you settle into that vibe, you’re hit with a playful bass riff, dancing up and down, layered with sharp guitar chords that echo and decay beautifully, thanks to ample delay this feels like a nod to past works from the band (Are you alone? Anyone?).
The bridge is a standout moment, with the haunting lyrics “dead or asleep” reverberating through the mix, backed by thick guitar tones that flood the track. From there, the energy surges as fast-paced percussion and guitar kick in, transporting you straight into the post-punk territory — it’s like a nod to the raw, frenetic energy of 70s punk with a dub-influenced twist. Just when you think the track has hit its peak, Rizts changes the pace once again, shifting into a slow, gritty, doomy section with fuzzed-out guitar riffs that are broken up and jagged, dragging you through to a close. It’s a rollercoaster of tempo, texture, and mood — a track that doesn’t disappoint.
Track 7 – 24
At just over three minutes, this may be one of the shorter tracks on the album, but it packs a punch. The song begins with clean chords which quickly change to hit you in the chest with a heavy tone right from the start. Soon, it transitions into a driving, almost galloping bass rhythm, complemented by a light, clean guitar that dances on top of the mix in a similar pattern. Just as you settle into this groove, a powerful vocal bursts in, and the track explodes into the wall of heavy guitars, revisiting those chugging riffs we are used to on this album with renewed force.
The energy shifts again as we’re pulled back into the galloping rhythm, this time with an emphasis on percussion. Rizts really flex their rhythmic and percussive muscles here, with drummer Warnes delivering some hair-raising fills and intricate flares as he effortlessly dances around the kit. The tom-heavy percussion adds depth and movement. As the track nears its conclusion, we’re greeted once more by those all-familiar fuzzy riffs that tie it all together.
Interview with Billy
I was lucky enough to have a chat with Billy Mattock, the frontman and driving force behind the band.
What is or who are Rizts?
RIZTS is a three-piece mess of genres formed by Noah Warnes, Connor Childs and I. We play a mix of post-punk, post-hardcore, dub reggae and a bunch of other genres. We all met in Falmouth, Cornwall where we’re currently based but all originally came from other towns. We all play in various other projects, book bands for shows in Falmouth and try to get as involved with the music scene down here as we can.
Is there a genre that you think best represents Rizts if so what is it?
It’s hard to pin down just one genre but if I had to pick one, maybe heavy post-punk as it’s such an eclectic genre in itself.
Who inspires you?
I take inspiration from loads of different places, I try to take every authentic piece of art, regardless of whether it’s in the format of film, audio, visual or written in a book and treat it as something to learn from. If I had to pick one, recently I’ve been amazed by the artistic production style of Trent Reznor. It’s inspiring to hear an artist so involved with the actual sound of their music, it cuts out the middleman and helps him get his artistic point across as genuinely as possible.
So I’ve listened to the album and it’s absolutely brilliant. What was your goal with the album? Was there a goal or is it just artistic expression if so in what way? Would you say there is anything you are trying to express with the album?
Thank you so much! We worked very hard on this one. I guess the goal is to always do better than you have previously done. We learn new things with every project we do and if we strive to complete work at the highest standard we can do with the knowledge and resources we have at the time, we will always improve and we will always sound the best we can. The album itself is a protest against the meat and dairy industry and a show of empathy for all the lives lost to it. I didn’t necessarily plan it that way, it just so happened that at the time of writing, that’s what was moving me the most and I found it very natural to write in that way.
Who is the album for?
I can’t speak for the other guys but I’m sure they’d agree to some extent that the album is for us. Even if I was sure that no one would ever hear it, I still would’ve written it and it would’ve turned out exactly the same. That being said, good feedback is always a welcome and encouraging bi-product and I appreciate every person who takes the time to listen to us.
Where can we see you live?
We have a few gigs coming up very soon! You’ll mostly see us around Falmouth with RIZTS, booking gigs for other bands and playing in various projects including Mothman, the Man, Dogspit, Kakafone Collective, the Chintz house jazz band, SluGggg and many more I’m sure.
Here’s a few RIZTS dates we have coming up this month with plenty more in the pipeline. If you want to keep track of it, you can follow us on Instagram (we can only cope with one form of social media at a time) or keep an eye out for posters around Falmouth.
October 2024
9th – London, the Old Dispensary
10th – Southampton, the Hobbit
11th – Northampton, the Garibaldi Hotel
What’s next for Rizts?
After the release of this album, we’re gonna be finishing off writing for the next album and getting in the studio with that. We want to aim for a rawer, more real sound. We’re going for a bit of a Steve Albini approach I think — capturing the sound of the band as well as we can and using minimal editing and effects.
The Album is available on all major DSPs and Vinyl courtesy of Krautpop!
