With its hammering drums, a smooth yet dirty riff and a large crowd-pleasing chorus, ‘Oh My Son’ is the perfect opener on ‘Boots and Bones’, the latest five track EP from Belfast’s More Than Conquerors. Two and a half minutes of punk-pop that brings an edgy, Arctic Monkeys sound, right up to date.

Feedback and a Foo Fighters inspired guitar riff signify the start of ‘Bear Knuckle Fight’. A very catchy song which has a powerful chorus that rocks hard. (It even has a cowbell! What more can you ask for?)  ‘The Deer & The Fox’ is a slightly slower number that showcases Platt’s vocal abilities. The chorus is raw, pounding and heavy, while the rest of the song is mellow and Snow Patrolish. It is a cleverly composed track that proves More Than Conquerors musical capabilities.

The fourth track slows things right down and is a testament to MTC that they can include ‘Hunting For The Whale’ on what is essentially a punk-pop EP. Its haunting sound just relaxes every muscle in your body. A beautiful song that shows the band are not just after the pop market, they can also write and perform an extremely intelligent piece of music.

 ‘A Lion, A Man’ ends the EP and brings back the raw guitar and stomping drum sound. With distorted vocals and a chugging riff and yet another catchy chorus, I can see this track being a highlight of the live set.

This EP certainly showcases the talent contained within More Than Conquerors and I think proves that they have what it takes to produce a full-length album, which would appeal to a wide market. They are young and can produce catchy pop-punk songs, but also seem to have a maturity in their song writing abilities.

More Than Conquerors - Boots & Bones EP by Smalltown America

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