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THE
ONCE OVER TWICE they're urgent, they're slightly spiky, they've got
places to go and people to see, they've got a post hardcore/emocore desire,
they take a nod towards DC and things Fugazi shaped, there's a hint of
new wave in there along with the more adventurous side of what's...
“When a band make songs that are just over a minute long and they sound as good as ‘Adenoidal’, there’s no questioning their greatness. Packing a punch that’s as fierce and uncouth as it is resplendent and invigorating, if this is the UK’s answer to the Vines then...... ROCKSOUND
When Plymouth-reared hardcore obsessive Darren Johns first approached a cautious Jon Wilson in late 1997, the intent was simple. To play no-frills, white knuckle rock’n’roll that had as big an opinionated gob as it did buzzsaw punk rock riffage. Having roped in an overworked community worker, pal Marc Gardiner, on bass, the first few gigs (under the moniker CHOMSKY) were a touch shambolic yet swelled with optimism. They released an ambitious 9 song album ‘Big And Clever’, recorded at April Music studios in Plymouth, to regional critical acclaim.
Nothing really changed for a couple years (save the odd breakdown, a lost second guitarist, Johnny Ayres, and a name-change to HULLABALOO BOOMBOOM HORSEPOWER) until the desire to move on became a full-blown need. Enter new bassist Nick Western and second guitar/vocalist Neil Ewart and enter a whole bunch of radically different tunes that followed a fresh trajectory: to reach beyond the spiky punker fraternity and city faithful; to forge something new within a post-hardcore framework.
The songwriting became more defined, more memorable, but without sacrificing that initial hardcore urgency. A stint at Sawmills Studios in Cornwall resulted in the ‘Swing Like Children’ EP (as-yet unreleased). It was a great experience but it left the band feeling removed from their punk ethos. So, in Spring 2001, they rung the changes with another new, and permanent, moniker and opted to record 4 new songs at their local musicians cooperative studios (PMC). The resulting demo EP, ‘Strikes And Gutters’, at last manages to capture the band’s live intensity and lyrical dexterity (see review).
With everyone pulling in the same direction, song-writing has become a more shared experience as righteous, primal and sometimes complex jams transform into rough-hewn gems. With a nod to the DC mindset, a wink at second wave LA punk rock, a post/hardcore lineage and a penchant for sweat-frenzied rock’n’roll, The Once Over Twice now feel ready to share their collected experiences.
Recently,
the band have found favour with many independent labels/promoters/bands
on the strength of the aforementioned demo. Household Name, Lockjaw, Boss
Tuneage, Crackle!, Infectious and many others are keen to work with them,
while the demo was also featured/played on Steve Lamacq’s Evening Session.
With Org Records’ recent involvement, the ‘Strikes And Gutters’ demo will
now be released as a limited edition single (1000 copies) in JANUARY 2003
as part 20 of the ORG-AN-ISED SINGLES SERIES.
Jon C. Wilson
• drums
Darren
Johns • vocal, guitar, words
Neil Ewart
• guitar, vocal
Nick Western
• bass, vocal
LATEST NEWS - MAY 2004 - The debut album is ready to go. it's called "Moments To Detonate Themselves", it's a 12-song LP and it's released by our good friends over at In At The Deep End Records in late May/early June 2004 - that's around about now and indeed if you go to the label website you can buy it...You can still get the single from us.....
And we gave a copy to to X the other day when Mars X went to visit them in the New Mexico desert....
"The debut
EP from Fugazi-approved, Plymouth based hardcore types The Once Over Twice,
'Adenoidal' is the sound of taut guitar strings struck until they threaten
to snap and the kind of leftfield, platinum-plated thrash-pop that Nirvana
rode to destruction a decade or so ago. There's plenty of copycat emocore
guff being flung at us right now, but TOOT boast easily enough passion,
twists and ingenuity to make 'em worth your while. SOMETHING SPECIAL IS
HAPPENING HERE"
Stevie
Chick - 4/5 Kerrang single review Jan 2003
"Still on
a noisy trip, but this time from southwest England rather than southwest
US, comes The Once
Over Twice
with 'Adenoidal', just one of four tracks on this explosive EP from one
of the best indie labels around, Org Records. Lifting their name from an
X song, the band have a sound not dissimilar to
the LA
post-punk scene: a wild, rock'n'roll base hewn into hardcore anthems. They've
already supported their spiritual mentors Fugazi, and are about to embark
on a full UK tour with Jetplane Landing... go see, and tell 'em we sent
you". Playlouder Jan 2003
"Plymouth-based
The Once Over Twice are ostensibly a hardcore act, but the only familial
resemblance is that the lead track jerks into life, thrashes around with
demonic intent for a mere 1 minute and 18 seconds, then kicks your telly
in and leaves. A taut ball of furious riffage, Nine Inch Nails’ ‘The Perfect
Drug’ casts a shadow over the clattering joie de vivre of primetime US
punkers Circle Jerks and Crumbsuckers. If you’ve ever liked anything with
a guitar, you need to own this."
Gillian
Nash LOGO MAGAZINE JAN 2003
www.logo-magazine.com
Here's the
ORGAN review
Now then,
THE ONCE OVER TWICE have a demo called "Strikes And Gutters" and yes indeed
it stands out massively. They're from Plymouth, they're urgent, they're
slightly spiky, they've got places to go and people to see, they've got
a post hardcore/emocore desire, they take a nod towards DC and things Fugazi
shaped, there's a hint of new wave in there along with the more adventurous
side of what's currently called Emo - this would not be out of place or
out of its depth on a label like Deep Elm. I like it's urgency, that drummer
adds so much... god, did we need a demo to come along today and kick me
out of my almost cynical apathy - shout it out now, this is very very impress
in a Red Animal War/Fugazi way. You know, as much as I like Hundred Reasons,
they leave me wanting just a little more - this is the band I want Hundred
Reasons to be..... this is the best goddamn demo I've heard in months -
it's spiky, it's punky, it's clever (but never ever too clever). This is
very very highly recommended. We liked this so much, we shot them off an
e.mail demanding we release the piece of beauty straight away.
THE ONCE
OVER TWICE
Strikes
And Gutters (demo review)
It was
no wonder to hear that a few weeks after The Once Over Twice had mailed
out this CDR to a bunch of UK labels that just about every single one of
them was interested in working with them, because this is serious quality,
and has the ability to grab you by the throat right on the first listen.
Opener ‘Adenoidal’ is one of the best songs I’ve heard by a British band
this year and the rest of them aren’t lagging far behind either. This is
DC-sounding hardcore that crackles with energy, passion and a heap of sharp
melodies. It’s like a cross between Bluetip, Fugazi and a little straight-up
power-rock. The powerful vocals are laced with a snarling undertone, the
drums and bass pound along with precision and strength and the guitars
really set it all off with some semi-discordant and incisive riffs. And
over-riding it all is a bunch of hooklines and persuasive choruses that
deliver punch after punch of instant appeal. TOOT inevitably will have
a great record out sometime in the near future, in the meantime you might
want to satiate yourself with this. Russell Remains, Fracture Fanzine
THE ONCE
OVER TWICE
Cooperage
(live review)
"The Once
Over Twice are over-sensitive, battle-scarred, sonic bootboys snapping
at the back-stomping heels of convention, armed with rock'n'roll savoir-faire,
angularity, cheeky grins, wild hearts and gobshite dispositions... These
are post-hardcore sounds from the swampy underground, sure, but The Once
Over Twice just can’t help themselves from burrowing up and stealing a
truckload of cool near-pop melodies from the surface". White Girl, Scene
magazine