AFTERMATH - BURN UP

As followers of the visual kei scene will know, the average life expectancy of new bands has plummeted in recent years. A similar trend has started to emerge in the ‘girls rock’ scene. It’s perhaps a sign of how healthy the movement now is, ten years on from its revival by the likes of SCANDAL. Nevertheless, looking back at line-ups of past editions of WOMEN’S POWER — a long-running live event dedicated to all-female bands — can feel like browsing an obituary column.

One of the more interesting acts to come and go in the last decade has been AFTERMATH. Formed in 2013 by guitarist Kiko, they were possibly the first ever ‘girls rock’ band to perform in English. Fronted at first by enigmatic blonde bombshell Elizabeth, and later by Brazilian-born Bear, it was the latter who sang on the closest AFTERMATH came to an album: their 2015 EP BURN UP.

The self-produced release is a textbook example of the kind of early release that most established rock bands have in their back-catalogue: a rough-edged proof of concept that oozes potential while simultaneously crying out for the attention of a producer. In AFTERMATH’s case, it would’ve been to focus their creative energies more than anything.

At first, BURN UP threatens to live up to the band’s supposed metalcore influences with some meaty riffing and a smattering of electronics, albeit no growling from Bear. Then, come the third song, the EP abruptly changes tact, serving up a triple-helping of clean hard rock that is curiously light on guitar pyrotechnics.

Kiko’s apparent reluctance to unleash her fingers on the fretboard of her guitar is a recurring theme throughout. Beyond some glorified fills, it takes until Monster, the fourth song of five, for her to lay down a solo that exceeds fifteen seconds. What little the guitarist lets us hear leaves her technical ability in little doubt, so her restrained approach might simply mean she never intended to be the ‘girls rock’ scene’s next great guitar heroine.

What Kiko and Bear did in the aftermath of AFTERMATH’s breakup — as emo-rock duo Tip of the Tongue — may lend some credence to that theory. Alas, the short-lived project only lasted one single and the guitarist hasn’t been heard from since. In happier news, bassist ami — a survivor of DESTROSE — has gone on to play bass with shoegazers Kina and guitar with (genuine) metalcore outfit S.T.R.G.