The London-based trio Frozemode has been making quite a stir since their 2020 formation. In their short career, the band has enjoyed extensive radio play and press and has played at the UK’s biggest festivals, like Reading + Leeds, Download, 2000trees, Radio 1’s Big Weekend, and The Great Escape, among many, many more.
Indicative of our current era of bricolage songwriting, Frozemode’s music is known for its high-octane, energetic alternative hip-hop, which mixes elements of punk, grime, trap, alt-rock, drill, and classic rock. The diversity of their sound can be seen in the fact that they’ve opened for contrasting acts, like noisy punkers FIDLAR and the hip-hop duo Joey Valence & Brae.
As a band in the fledgling stages of their career that shows no signs of a slowdown, you might want to get on the Frozemode train early, if for no other reason than bragging rights when they inevitably blow up. Oh, and because the music is really good, of course.
The band’s latest EP, DEMODE 2 (a sequel to last year’s DEMODE), is a good entry point. Essentially, the EP is a compilation of the four singles that the band have released throughout 2024, with the final track, “NO ASSUMPTIONS,” being an EP exclusive. The EP shows that the band are a product of their generation, which gives them a sense of distinction from their influences beyond the sonic versatility.
The opener, “ASBO BOYS”, is a sarcastic retort to some trolling “criticisms” they have been getting online, which paints them as anything from chavs to wannabe chavs. But it also serves as a criticism of our relation to trolling and the algorithms which dictate our lives. Overall, the song strongly indicates the band’s music and lyrics for newcomers.
Next is “BLACK HOLE,” a song I read about how quick, ephemeral thrills affect long-term mental well-being. The song has a sinister and claustrophobic feeling, as if the song’s paranoia is growing increasingly smaller and boxing the listener’s brain into the inescapable perturbation that the song is generating. Then comes “KURAMA,” whose title references a Naruto anime and manga character. The song carries the horror rap tone of the previous track and amplifies it. The previous song was paranoid and afraid of that fact, whereas this song is sinister and embraces that. Like its title, the song is very reference-heavy, and if you have the same media diet as the Frozemode boys, you may understand what all of the similes they are making mean, but it lost me, to be honest.
“MANDEM NAH” follows. The song deals with a similar theme as “BLACK HOLE,” but the accompanying instrumentation ditches that song’s paranoic air in favour of a more intimidating and demanding beat, with the repeating importunate line, “Just don’t tell the mandem nuttin’.” Closing off the EP is its only exclusive track, “NO ASSUMPTIONS.”
Ironically, the chorus is probably the most euphonic and anthemic on the EP, paired with an upbeat, hardcore, and near-crunk beat. It’s a blast of track and one hell of an outro. DEMODE 2 showcases the band’s distinctive musical stylings and addicting energy, which have earned them equal praise in hip-hop, metal, and indie.
Whether intentional or not, I think Frozemode’s lyrics have a generational distinctiveness that will be relatable to people their age and may benefit them as a result. My only real critique of the EP is that some lyrical concepts repeat between tracks. Check it out and get in early.
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