It’s been nearly two years since we sat down with Brighton’s Six Time Champion when they released their sophomore EP ‘Expecting Honesty’, and two years later after a brief rejuvenation, they’re back with their new record ‘More Than Me’ to take their place with the upper echelon of UK Pop Punk.
STC have added a new addition to the band in rhythm guitarist Hus, who seems to have given the band a confidence that can contend with peers of the genre like Trash Boat, WSTR and Milestones who have all recently signed to major American labels.
‘More Than Me’ is the third release from Six Time Champion and feels like this could be the charm that propels them to playlists and festival stages in 2017. If you’re familiar with STC, you’ll know their aggressive and melodic signature that made them familiar with the UK Pop Punk sound that has carved its own scene over the past 3 years. This time around, it seems that the brief respite away has given the guys time to build on a foundation of solid song writing and catchy hooks to find a tighter sound that isn’t overly polished and still retains the edge that defines Six Time Champion’s own identity.
Whilst the current pop punk scene is becoming a little stagnated, many bands are trying to find a stride in a different direction to differentiate themselves. In that respect, ‘More Than Me’ may not redefine the genre, however, the five song EP is an example of a how a popular formula can be done extremely well. From start to finish, the record gives you a buffet of different songs that still make you know this is well crafted and thought through track by track.
Opening with LOST, the EP delivers you melodic riffs that let you know you’re in the capable hands of a band who know how to craft a catchy song and kick you in teeth with a live show that will even have the hipster in the back tapping his feet. DOWN, the first release from the EP, sets the tone of the record, lyrically offering it to you as a sense of internal and external struggle that threads itself between tracks. This drives the record forward into EVERY ANGLE, a familiar and strong effort that wouldn’t sit out of place on a Story So Far record, if not outlined by James Dagg’s effortless vocals. The record is broken up with UNEASY, an acoustic track that shows an angst that has been hinted at throughout the record but is exposed when everything is stripped back. Finally, DOUBT is the perfect ender that combines Six Times Champion’s signature aggressive drive and melodic hooks that highlights everything that’s great about current pop punk, but with the bands own personal stamp.
‘More Than Me’ more than solidifies Six Time Champion as a serious contender to be snapped up next by the American labels looking to capitalise on the wealth of talent growing out of the UK, and the EP is filled with solid, well-crafted and big tracks which could be the stepping stone to make 2017 a big year for the guys.
‘More Than Me’ is out now and can be streamed from their Bandcamp and Facebook.
Check out the latest single ‘Down’
