Irepress


Every band wants to have their own unique sound, something that can only be described as their own fitting signature. But such uniqueness can be a double-edged sword, as Irepress drummer Sheel Davé explained it to Noisecreep in frustration. "It's really hard to fit in anywhere. I don't know many bands that sound like us and we're compared to these bands in the post-metal and rock genre, and I really don't know anything about it."

The "lumping into the 'post-whatever' label" is due to the band's long songs and sky-soaring guitars that tend to be the calling card for those tags, but what makes Irepress' sound all their own is what they add to those formulas. "On the latest record, you can hear some R&B stuff, some electronica influence," Davé pointed out. "It's just not one of those typical metal records, and that's been sort of a challenge and a risk for us for people critiquing the 'Sol Eye Sea I' record."

But it's these non-metal elements that tend to bring the band negative reviews of either disgust or confusion. "Irepress have been that band that a lot of people in the press s--- on," he explained, saying the common attitude he sees is centered around the question asking, 'What are they trying to do?'

"Were really just trying to have fun," Davé revealed, replying to the critics. "We haven't gotten the love that some bands in our genre have gotten, 'cause I think it's not that easy to wrap your head around. It's just not cookie cutter."

But Davé has gotten used to the bad reviews, or at least he doesn't see them as negative anymore, citing one of the band's most recent New York City performance alongside Junius and Tombs as an example of how he actually enjoys seeing writers describe them now -- and delights in the varied reactions they get. "They kind of s--- on us," he laughed. "But our review compared to everyone else was the most interesting review. It was a negative review [comparing] people dancing in our mosh pit to 'dancing like an epileptic.' That to me is a negative comment, but I took it as a compliment."

Their most recent album, 'Sol Eye Sea I,' was a step in a weird direction, as even Davé admitted, "We really didn't give a f--- what we were writing; we just wanted to write whatever came." But as he sees it, the band will be taking a different step on the next record, but don't think this next move has anything to do with critics though. "We will be a little more focused, grabbing the biggest parts we wrote and focus on them a little more, and scale down the 25-minute post-metal songs and write bangers," he speculated before pausing. "I guess."

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