The Headline Act Column: Monsters Of Rock

Even in a city where the world and its designated life partner seem to be making records, there are still some surprises to be unearthed.

Large Mound are one such discovery. Although in existence since 1999 – when singer Anthony Mackey started to make solo four track recordings – and about to release their second album, Go Forth And Amplify, the band have kept something of a low profile until now, although as Mark Jordan explains, this was also due to the group’s changing line-up.
“Up to about two years ago everything was centred around Anthony’s songs. Then at that point Six Cans left and Hugh came in on bass and I switched to guitar, after ‘Raised On Rock’. Around that time we moved into a rehearsal room which we could use pretty regularly. That meant we were working on stuff every week rather than grinding out rehearsal time whenever we could”.
Does he think that this album represents the band at their most complete?
“You can always go forward but definitely it’s a very good representation of where we are now. The songs sound much more like they were written and constructed by a band. I wouldn’t be too sure about being complete but we’re the best we’ve ever been”.
It’s certainly a record that hints at a variety of influences; albeit that the one most people seem to be picking up on is their love of metal. And with an album cover featuring the greatest array of denim, hair and Dio patches seen for some time, plus song titles like ‘Metal’s Back’ and ‘Thairockin’’, Mark must agree that it’s something they invite.
“Totally. We tend to think that we’re more metal than we actually are. Megadeth were my favourite band, Anthony was a huge Marillion fan, Iron Maiden, stuff like that. I actually was scared of Anthony when I was younger because he was walking round with the heavy metal people with their long hair and leather jackets while I was in my tracksuit with chocolate spread down my T-shirt. I suppose we play up to it a bit but there are metal moments on the record, offset with other stuff. We’re not afraid of guitar solos”.
He’s right. Go Forth And Amplify is not an out and out hard rock record but one that is laced with metal moments, some so subtle that you’d have had to have been living the rock life in the 80s to pick up on them.
“Even on the artwork we’ve copied Slayer by naming each guitar solo in each song,” Mark points out. It’s little nods and winks here and there. When I joined this band, Anthony got me listening to a lot of other stuff like the Wedding Present, that sort of thing. Probably our sound has a bit more in common with them and Dinosaur Jr than any metal bands”.
Still, it’s not a bad time to be peddling anything to do with metal, it having become really fashionable of late. Not that Mark is impressed.
“It started to get to me when you see people like Kate Moss wearing a Motörhead shirt, now it’s the same with Iron Maiden. Lemmy is maybe an icon but there’s never been anything fashionable about Maiden”.
Talking of the latter, there are perhaps comparisons too be drawn between Large Mound and the Londoner’s punk influenced debut.
“I don’t particularly like punk”, counters Mark. “When hotpress reviewed ‘Raised On Rock’ they said we were pop punk, which makes me think of Blink 182 or Green Day. That’s not where I want to be compared to”.
How about the more left of centre punk bands like Fugazi?
“That would be nice. I’d like to think that we’re punk in terms of ethos but I wouldn’t say that we were that musically influenced. We try to think it out a little bit more.”

Go Forth And Amplify is out now on Scientific Laboratories.