INTERVIEW: Ruled By Raptors

Image by Jamie Bott

“I was once asked why I scream in my music and ultimately I think it comes down to punctuation. It’s an exclamation mark, it’s used when nothing else can emote or communicate what’s inside me.” This need for clarity, immediacy and honesty is at the heart of Newcastle post-hardcore quartet Ruled By Raptors. 

This month will see the release of Silent Sound, the EP which has spent years waiting for the ideal time to emerge from the shadows. 2018 introduced Ouroboros, the band’s riotous debut, but their latest is an explosion of earnest storytelling, melting over a combination of punching riffs, fiery vocals and crushing rhythms. Lurching into action instantly, the tracks play as a creative outlet for instability and torment, reflected through volcanic choruses and screeching guitars. Leaning into the post-hardcore need for experimentation, the daring release strides through challenges with a grace and ease that makes everything feel meditated and assured.

With production by the revered Romesh Dodangoda (Bring Me The Horizon, Funeral For A Friend), the band aim to breathe life into four new hardcore hits when they hit stages across the country, as vocalist and guitarist Chris Bradley explains. “Touring is so important, that’s where all the personality is truly revealed, the greatest I’ve been to have been riddled with mistakes, but that’s where the bond between crowd and performance is strengthened and humanity is heightened.” 

Peeling back the layers is an essential part of their story and live shows have opened up new conversations which have been resonating with crowds across the country. “What was really poignant to us on the last release was the sense of connection we got, we had conversations with audience members who took their own stories and inserted them into our songs, it feels really important to continue.”

Writing this record has forced me to be concise about themes I’d normally ramble about. It adds a structure  and a rhythm to an otherwise cluttered and noisy mind

Silent Sound is that continuation. Addressing hushed subjects and themes, the band reiterates that a subject becoming less taboo doesn’t mean that it’s a new thing; mental health, identity politics and the myriad of struggles that make up the human condition have always existed, it’s only now we are closer to understanding and accepting them. 

This acceptance of each other and of yourself is a prevailing concept throughout Silent Sound, as Chris explains. “I have OCPD, Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder. It creates this scary and confusing noise around me, I’m always bubbling with a thousand words and ideas and directions, it can be unbearable. This album is me addressing that. Writing this record has forced me to be concise about themes I’d normally ramble about. It adds a structure  and a rhythm to an otherwise cluttered and noisy mind. It condenses a novel of thoughts into a verse and a chorus.” 

Addressing anxiety, fear and confusion, the lyrics of Silent Sound touch on something distinctly personal. “Dance of Wolves is about that worry of being a burden and how my fiancé has battled through the craziness. Oxy’s Moron is a depiction of the insane ups and downs that scream in my head, it maps out the swells of  intensity and the moments of calm and reflection.” While being allowed into these stories, we can all find something of ourselves in these worries and ruminations. “Creativity is a necessity, it unties that knot and helps us understand ourselves, which in turn builds connection with like minded people.”

Ruled By Raptors release Silent Sound on 15^th July. They play Little Buildings, Newcastle on Thursday 14^th July.