Siobhan Mazzei - Consumed By Chaos

Many who knew Siobhan Mazzei as a solo artist, myself included, were dubious when, some time ago, the Midlands based singer-songwriter announced she would be forming a band.

Siobhan’s songs seemed to be so built around her playing alone, with her unique and enticing percussive guitar style matching up with her soaring vocals perfectly.

However, any doubts were quickly squashed upon the release of Siobhan’s In Wolf’s Clothing EP earlier this year, and her latest release, Consumed By Chaos, proceeds to stamp out any scepticism that remains with style.

A familiar face on the Leicester music scene and across the whole of the Midlands, a UK headline tour at the end of 2018 will see Siobhan introduce herself to a far wider audience, and the musical growth that shows through in Consumed By Chaos makes it clear that Siobhan is more than ready to take on this new challenge.

Always a phenomenal songwriter, there is an added maturity in the songwriting here, with the musicality having an entire extra level of nuance from anything we’ve heard from Siobhan before.

It is at this point it is necessary to make it clear that Siobhan’s music has always been exceptional, but Consumed By Chaos is something else.

Kicking off with Never There, Siobhan marks her territory immediately with a roaring guitar line that immediately fills the room with energy.

The balance between the gentle nature of Siobhan’s vocals and the gravelly tone of the band behind her works perfectly, and isolates those occasions when Siobhan chooses to let go a little more and really belt out her vocals, a juxtaposition that shows off her inimitable skill as a singer.

It is the dynamics and little details in this track, and indeed the EP as a whole, that make all the difference here, taking this EP away from the natural similarities with other acts, and instead giving Siobhan a sound that is all her own.

What Have I Become is Siobhan at her most comfortable. Dark, intelligent lyrics that are simultaneously personal and relatable, with a musical accompaniment that bounces between gentle and brooding guitar riffs, and brutal and crunching choruses with a build that sucks you in and doesn’t let you out again, building up to a screaming crescendo that is as stunningly epic as the ending is beautifully abrupt.

Recycled has arguably the best guitar line of the whole EP (and there’s stiff competition, because they’re all badass) an all-out rock number that smoothly sidesteps every possible cliché to create an original and soul-pleasing sound.

I’m Not Scared brings the EP to a close, a gentler song than those that come before, and a perfect way to close off what is a startlingly accomplished collection of songs.

There is a kick here, but it doesn’t come until some three minutes into the song, which is a testament to the patience that exists in Siobhan’s songwriting, and the quality of the musicians she has surrounded herself with.

It took me four times of listening through this song to actually manage to listen to all the lyrics, because the flowing nature of the music caused me to drift off into a world of my own in my head every time, something that, again, demonstrates how good the music is here, but it’s worth making the effort to hear the lyrics too, because they are also astounding.

If In Wolf’s Clothing kicked the door to the musical world off its hinges, then Consumed By Chaos is a ritualistic burning of it.

Siobhan Mazzei is here, and she’s ready to take over, so get on board, or step aside.

Consumed By Chaos will have its official launch on October 13th (2018) at Firebug, Leicester. 

Find the event here