Don Broco: Band Of The Year

It may no longer be Easter Sunday, but Don Broco's track of the same name will forever permeate its way through my speaker. That song is the epitome of the band's brilliance - subversive, transient and unique throughout each decibel that comes pouring out of it. They never offer the same thing twice. Variety echoes throughout their eras, albums, and singular tracks. Each one cultivating its own unique journey that finds a way to imprint itself instantaneously.

2023 is Don Broco's year. Securing their first UK number one album in May 2022, and having celebrated the 10 year anniversary of release 'Priorities' in August 2022, Don Broco just keep pushing higher, giving more, and shouting louder. They've kicked off the year with an array of UK and European gigs, before they head on tour to Australia and the USA in May. And this isn't even the core of what makes them so brilliant. The band engage with fans in a way that is unheard of. On the UK stint of their tour this year, they took to pulling pints in multiple pubs across the country in the ‘Broco Arms’ pre-show. Now that, is showmanship. Anyone for an IPA?

Offering their fans relentless drive and energy, the band truly embody what it is to be an artist. Riveting tracks that push you up to great heights then plunge you back down into the depths of intense, ravaging vocals and heavy instrumentals. Punctuated by heavy riffs that wash over you in tidal formation. They offer music that deviates from the typical arrangement of melodies, bass, and drums that so many bands throw out when they're tired of trying. Despite over a decade on the scene, Don Broco are only offering more and more...

Frontman Rob Damiani's heavy-hitting vocals traverse across audio planes, throwing out serene melodies, combative lines and pure screamo all across one track. But, the band also offer something even more unique; with Drummer Matt Donnelly taking most tracks to an even further dimension with high notes that most artists strive for. Track after track, Damiani and Donnelly's voices coalesce to an ethereal place, providing depth, grit, and a lyrical range that only Gods could dream of...

Their songs touch the soul in a way that only brilliant musicians really can. Anaheim reverberates its way across your eardrums, transporting you to an other-worldly place; whilst The Blues and One True Prince (Orchestral Version) come at you with both beauty and full-bodied depth.

Other songs strike a cord with a full punch. Gumshield, Stay Ignorant, Fingernails, and Bruce Willis are great examples of songs that slam their way into you, and rile you up with the embodied energy they contain.

The band are here to make an impact more than musically, singing about things that truly matter and with enough integrity to make a difference. Themes in their tracks touch on issues such as the rifeness of racism, and their rage at attitudes of hatred that are permeating their way across society. The song 'Uber' is the epitome of their anger at the world we reside in, with the lyrics speaking for themselves. Their 'Amazing Things' album is the culmination of their disdain towards injustice, with anger and activism injected into the repertoire of tracks.

The band don't just stop at audio, each music video they create is an absolute masterpiece. If you're a fan of Bruce Willis, run, don't walk to this video... Gumshield takes you on a multi-dimensional whirl through a boxing showdown, whilst Endorphins sees out our 2000's Power Rangers dreams. One True Prince plays itself out amongst an alien-esque landscape and Everybody features a face you may get to know well, plus a dance routine TikTok can only envy... Oh, and if you're a football fan, Manchester Super Red's No.1 Fan features an uncanny David Beckham lookalike, go see for yourself... 👀

After over ten years of success for the band, there's no stopping their rise to the stratosphere. As their latest album tells after all, they're here to do Amazing Things...