Bronto Skylift

First up the Bronto boys – The 2 piece guitar and drum noiseniks wear their Death From Above 1979 influence on their sleeve here with massive sounding songs such as Tiger and Burt Bacharachnid that seem to thrive in this environment and their album The White Crow wouldn’t sound out of place on Jello’s Alternative Tentacles label among contemporaries such as Triclops! These guys certainly give fresh meaning to the words ‘Dynamic Duo’. - glasgowpodcart.com

Bronto Skylift equally has become a bit of an institution in Glasgow, and are always a welcome addition to any show.

Despite doing their best Lightning Bolt/Hella/Big Business impression, they have still carved an entertaining and successful rendition to call their own, and tonight’s performance is no different.

They blast through songs at a break-neck pace, leading to a cacophony of noise and sweat that is received highly. - Rokbun.com

Bronto Skylift, on the other hand, are aggressive from the get-go, carving their way through old favourites like 'Burt Bacharachnid' and 'Eagle/Falcon' to new cuts like recent single 'Italo Calvino'.

The creative rapport between Niall Strachan and Iain Stewart seems strengthened by the pair's recent US stint and brings an extra sense of danger and urgency to their reliably ramshackle live show. With the utmost ferocity and deadpan humour, they dole out murky slabs of distortion, mercilessly bombarded by Stewart's eye-popping jazz breaks.

His insatiable drum-hunger results in some pretty heroic fills and mind-bending rhythms that, even at their most sporadic and unpredictable, always seem to lock in tight with Strachan's brilliantly obnoxious riffs and the set ends with an evidently amped-up Mr Stewart beating the sh*t out of his kit and heaving it onto the floor.

It's not every day you get a reminder of the exciting things happening, musically, at a local level, and it's much rarer still to find a show that leaves you laughed out, sweaty, breathless and maybe even a little bruised. - Radar Scotsman

Bronto Skylift
Sunday / BBC Introducing

Bronto SkyliftBronto Skylift are on stage, so it's about to get real loud down at the BBC Introducing stage. And the duo doesn't disappoint, as crashing cymbals and thrumming guitar squeals abound.

Singer/guitarist Niall Strachan embarrasses the hell out of his girlfriend by coaxing the whole crowd into singing her happy birthday - incredibly sweet. The band also picks up the gong for cutest fan as, in the front row getting his rock on is a teeny little chap. The niceties don't, however, stop them from hurling out some devastating sounds.

At the end, Strachan disappears into the crowd, riffs still spilling from his fingers, giving the passers-by a little taste of what they've been missing while Iain Stewart frantically pounds the skins on stage. Consider yourselves introduced. [EL] - Radar Scotsman

Headliners tonight are Bronto Skylift (right). Fresh from some BBC2 coverage of their SXSW shenanigans, the infamous duo are no frills, no messing, teeth rattling hardcore.

But it's not as simple as that might sound, thanks to some incredibly intricate work from drummer Iain Stewart, who is breathtaking to watch. With crowd interaction kept to a minimum, they wow the packed room with a collection of songs that will keep the tooth fairy in business for a while to come. - Radar Scotsman

My, how Scotland thunders.

Initially, this debut full-length by Scottish duo Bronto Skylift was a bit perplexing. Sure it has all the hallmarks of a ’90s-ish noise rock classic, but for the most part, it reminded me of an unlikely combination of Karp and post-In on the Killtaker Fugazi. As the CD progressed though, Karp, or maybe Jarred Warren‘s newer band Big Business, emerged as the more blatant comparison.

The fact is, Niall Strachan‘s vocals sound a lot like Jarred, and his guitar is somewhere between Chris Smith and Ian MacKaye. When paired with Iain Stewart‘s Thor-ish drumming, it’s that Karp-like ecstasy all over again. Far from being a simple clone band, though, BS keep things exciting with captivating, unpredictable songwriting, particularly in “Wolf,” which stops and starts all over the place. “Cobblepot” is another odd one – Fugazi-ish in the beginning and end, but sort of italo disco in the midde. “Danny Glover Isn’t Dead” seems almost like a Fugazi spoof, and the closing “Transgenderbenderrender” could pass for a later Fugazi instrumental. The remainder, however, is pure Karp, i.e., irreverent lyrics, e.g., “Burt Bacharacnid,” “Gameboy” and “Eagle/Falcon,” adrenalized syncopation and that unique catchiness that keeps you coming back for more.

I imagine this album would be a perfect complement to a bottle of fine single malt Scotch.

Me likey. - The Big Takeover

Then some brutal drum-and-guitar interplay with Bronto Skylift on the BBC Introducing Stage, the bare-bones outfit from the Highlands suitably coruscating as the percussion crashed away and heavy rock riffs threatened to demolish a small section of the T in the Park festival site. It was just the right time for a little bit of destructive power. - STV News

Brutal and unrelenting, Italo Calvino (****) packs a number of ear-fizzing punches over its modest three-minute duration. It’s exactly what we’ve come to expect from this badass Glasgow duo. The drums are ‘pneumatic-drill’ ferocious, the guitars are of the two-chord unrelenting and pummelling variety whilst the vocals, well, they’re just terrifying. - The Skinny

From the very opening the track is an unrelenting slab of noise, the slow stomping pace driven by aggressive drums give a raw power. This is overlaid with thrashing, messy guitar and characteristically coarse vocals that give a rattling, bone-shaking intensity. However, there is a bit of respite towards the end with a breakdown followed by a tuneful guitar solo that should sound out of place on the track but oddly works. Overall, another excellent slice of noisy rock from the Glasgow duo. - Ravechild blog

Bronto Skylift are just about on their home soil, and kicked off the Hothouse Stage with thundering chaos. Their tightly woven mayhem had a busy tent flinching and flailing around all at the same time, their festival presence firm, ferocious and clearly appreciated by stunned fans.
- STV News

Having seen Bronto a fair few times in the past twelve months, they rarely fail to impress. I'll admit that I don't find myself listening to their album all that much, only if I have had a really shitty day at work. However, every time I see them they impress the fuck out of me, they may well only be a two piece, but boy do they make one hell of an enjoyable racket. The only problem sometimes is knowing who to watch. One minute I am being hypnotised by their drummer Iain's stick wielding wonders, then the next thing I know Niall is down in the crowd hurling his guitar back onto the stage. It's noisy, it's brutal and fuck me it's great to watch.
- Peenko

Last summer in Inverness we stood in a park and watched two twitching noise droogs play a discordant powerful set powered by a generator. >Bronto Skylift pop up again in Texas playing every night and are a highlight of each day. Sounding like the long lost cousins of the Dog Faced Hermans, they have a singularly powerful and skilful drummer whose collapsing drum style is perfectly matched by a both parts grungy and discordant guitarist. You can hear a feint echo of Nirvana in here and a whole host of underground guitar noiseniks, their trump card, though, is that they have the potential for actually crossing over into the grown up charts because there are actual songs in their assault as well. - Louder than war

The LP Questionnaire/Pick Three - Niall Strachan of Bronto Skylift

bronto_skylift.jpgIt's midnight and I've got Scottish band Bronto Skylift blasting at my desk because for once I'm treading the water at SXSW HQ all aloney on my owny.

Perhaps you know of my deep abiding love for the Scots. I've driven up to Loch Ness to look for the monster, traveled through Inverness and marveled at both its beauty and best summer weather ever, and vacationed alone on the Isle of Arran (where you can take a teeny tiny boat to an island owned by Buddhist monks… just beware the angry ponies).

From The Jesus and Mary Chain to The Trashcan Sinatras to Silverfish, Frightened Rabbit and beyond, these often a bit crazy lads and lasses have a way with a guitar and the word. And here comes Bronto Skylift, not the global market leaders in truck mounted hydraulic platforms (Google it), but a hard hitting dissonant monster of monstrosity. This shizz will wake you the hell up and throttle you like wow.

Singer/guitarist Niall Strachan believes he can speak to animals, especially Hungarian Vizslas.

Spiders make the soles of his feet perspire.

He has the loveliest superpower wish I've ever read so now you read it, too…

The LP Questionnaire
Name: Niall Strachan
Do you have any nicknames? BRONTO!

1. Pretend you're 15. Name three songs you'd put on a mix tape for your girlfriend/boyfriend.
1. Love Buzz- Nirvana
2. Take A Chance On Me - ABBA
3. Waiting For A Star To Fall - Boy Meets Girl

2. Which evil villain would make the best President? Stromboli from Pinocchio. He rocks a mean beard. Is good at spotting talent. And would get the US economy back in shape

3. What was your favorite cartoon as a child? The Mysterious Cities of Gold

4. What superpower do you wish you had? The ability to view animals dreams

5. What would the title of your autobiography be? Pictures of Imaginary Friends

Pick Three
Inverness: I was born and live there! Iain has family there. A must see band for us. If I don't see this band I will set myself on fire.

Queens of the Stone Age: No. Explanation. Needed.

Adebisi Shank: From Ireland. They are simply mind-blowing. Go and treat your ears to some sonic pleasure.

Friday night at The Parish Underground. Bronto Skylift. Be there.

So yeahhhh, that mixtape, too. Who is this guy?!! Maybe not from this world. Kind of like, you know, my new best musical friend Dan Willson aka Withered Hand who hopefully is on his merry way to the Austin sun. Fingers crossed, you guys. Alright, this has been swell but back to work I go. Keep reading on and on at the place where posts are kept. - SXSW

Introducing…

Bronto Skylift

Admittedly, Bronto Skylift are no spring chicks. In the last two years the battle scarred pairing of Niall Strachan and Iain Stewart have already shifted a debut album and around 200 gigs. But now the hard graft’s over and influential heads are slowly turning their way. The duo’s brawl of guitar and drum screeches out like freewheeling punk; utterly discordant but with a distinctly rhythmic edge. The inexhaustible Stewart drives a ferocious beat, pummelling his skins to a queer demonic trance, while Strachan’s finger-bleeding guitar cloys against his deafening shrill. Booked in for a slot at this year’s SXSW showcase, their animalistic gutter-rock is already stretching beyond the rancid basements of Scotland’s underground. If you’re lucky enough to see their head-rattling live outings in the coming months, best remember one thing: earplugs. - Drowned In Sound

Introducing…

Bronto Skylift

Admittedly, Bronto Skylift are no spring chicks. In the last two years the battle scarred pairing of Niall Strachan and Iain Stewart have already shifted a debut album and around 200 gigs. But now the hard graft’s over and influential heads are slowly turning their way. The duo’s brawl of guitar and drum screeches out like freewheeling punk; utterly discordant but with a distinctly rhythmic edge. The inexhaustible Stewart drives a ferocious beat, pummelling his skins to a queer demonic trance, while Strachan’s finger-bleeding guitar cloys against his deafening shrill. Booked in for a slot at this year’s SXSW showcase, their animalistic gutter-rock is already stretching beyond the rancid basements of Scotland’s underground. If you’re lucky enough to see their head-rattling live outings in the coming months, best remember one thing: earplugs. - Drowned In Sound

Sweet is certainly not the term to apply to Orkney/Inverness two piece Bronto Skylift. Debut album "The White Crow" (own label) overcomes their minimal approach to instrumentation of just guitar and drums to lay into the listener with a full-on aural assault that demands to be played at high volume and with close attention. Only then is it possible to appreciate the textures of their hard-edged rock with its playful line in titles like "Burt Bacharacnid" and "Transgendererbender" - Highland News

Sweet is certainly not the term to apply to Orkney/Inverness two piece Bronto Skylift. Debut album "The White Crow" (own label) overcomes their minimal approach to instrumentation of just guitar and drums to lay into the listener with a full-on aural assault that demands to be played at high volume and with close attention. Only then is it possible to appreciate the textures of their hard-edged rock with its playful line in titles like "Burt Bacharacnid" and "Transgendererbender" - Highland News

You know, we haven’t served up any noisy duos in a while, so this would be a perfect time to kick the tires on Bronto Skylift. Borrowing their handle from everyone’s favorite truck mounted hydraulic platforms, there can be no denying that this Scottish twofer brings the noise with absence of malice. Just take their new full length, The White Crow. What’s not to like? The urgency of Refused meets the teeth chattering syncopation of Dillinger Escape Plan with a whole mess of Black Cobra less-is-more styled aural carnage.

Incidentally, I googled cobblepot and, much to my chagrin, it has nothing to do with Winnie the Pooh. - MOKB

You know, we haven’t served up any noisy duos in a while, so this would be a perfect time to kick the tires on Bronto Skylift. Borrowing their handle from everyone’s favorite truck mounted hydraulic platforms, there can be no denying that this Scottish twofer brings the noise with absence of malice. Just take their new full length, The White Crow. What’s not to like? The urgency of Refused meets the teeth chattering syncopation of Dillinger Escape Plan with a whole mess of Black Cobra less-is-more styled aural carnage.

Incidentally, I googled cobblepot and, much to my chagrin, it has nothing to do with Winnie the Pooh. - MOKB

Having decimated eardrums across Scotland and the greater UK over the last three years, two-pronged noisemakers Bronto Skylift are chomping at the bit to bring their caustic guitar and drum assault to American ears and will do just that with the stateside self-release of their acclaimed debut album, "The White Crow," on March 15. The Scottish duo will unveil the combustible material with their live US premiere at SXSW.

Recorded and produced at Diving Bell Lounge in Glasgow with producer Marcus MacKay (Frightened Rabbit, Snow Patrol) and mastered in New York by Alan Douches (Converge, Dillinger Escape Plan, Sufjan Stevens), the album is an energetic, ferocious listen that couples spasmodic and scuzzy guitar riffs with thunderous and intricate drum patterns.This two-man crew, who have been likened to fellow duos Death from Above 1979 and Lightning Bolt, attacks their instruments as they blitz through nine songs in under 30 minutes with six of the tracks clocking in under the three-minute mark. The LP, which was originally self-released in the UK in June 2010, experienced critical acclaim back home and sold out of its initial first pressing. "'The White Crow' is as fine a present-day hardcore/math-core album as anyone could ask for. Lively, unashamedly insane and louder than an exploding Hawaiian shirt. Just plain brilliant," declared The 405.

Hailing from the Highlands of Scotland - singer/ guitarist Niall Strachan is from Inverness (home to Nessy) while drummer Iain Stewart, who also pulls double duty in The Phantom Band, has roots in Orkney - Bronto Skylift formed in Glasgow in early 2007 and quickly earned a reputation for their blistering, unhinged and savagely loud live shows. Over the past few years, the band, which named itself after the type of commercial fire engine-like truck that nearly ran over Strachan, has gigged hard across the UK playing to increasingly larger crowds at headline and festival appearances including T in the Park, one of the UK's biggest music festivals. In addition, they have been championed by hugely respected BBC music DJs Vic Galloway, Huw Stephens and Jim Gellatly, all of whom have given them airplay on national and regional radio. Undeniably, Bronto Skylift is quickly making a name for themselves and with a memorable live show and mind blowing musicianship it's not hard to see why. "When you go to see a band where one member is breaking down jazz-influenced drum fills and the other is piledriving his guitar (which is plugged into both a guitar and a bass amp) into a wall, it's definitely something you'll remember," exclaimed The Skinny. - Plugin Music

Having decimated eardrums across Scotland and the greater UK over the last three years, two-pronged noisemakers Bronto Skylift are chomping at the bit to bring their caustic guitar and drum assault to American ears and will do just that with the stateside self-release of their acclaimed debut album, "The White Crow," on March 15. The Scottish duo will unveil the combustible material with their live US premiere at SXSW.

Recorded and produced at Diving Bell Lounge in Glasgow with producer Marcus MacKay (Frightened Rabbit, Snow Patrol) and mastered in New York by Alan Douches (Converge, Dillinger Escape Plan, Sufjan Stevens), the album is an energetic, ferocious listen that couples spasmodic and scuzzy guitar riffs with thunderous and intricate drum patterns.This two-man crew, who have been likened to fellow duos Death from Above 1979 and Lightning Bolt, attacks their instruments as they blitz through nine songs in under 30 minutes with six of the tracks clocking in under the three-minute mark. The LP, which was originally self-released in the UK in June 2010, experienced critical acclaim back home and sold out of its initial first pressing. "'The White Crow' is as fine a present-day hardcore/math-core album as anyone could ask for. Lively, unashamedly insane and louder than an exploding Hawaiian shirt. Just plain brilliant," declared The 405.

Hailing from the Highlands of Scotland - singer/ guitarist Niall Strachan is from Inverness (home to Nessy) while drummer Iain Stewart, who also pulls double duty in The Phantom Band, has roots in Orkney - Bronto Skylift formed in Glasgow in early 2007 and quickly earned a reputation for their blistering, unhinged and savagely loud live shows. Over the past few years, the band, which named itself after the type of commercial fire engine-like truck that nearly ran over Strachan, has gigged hard across the UK playing to increasingly larger crowds at headline and festival appearances including T in the Park, one of the UK's biggest music festivals. In addition, they have been championed by hugely respected BBC music DJs Vic Galloway, Huw Stephens and Jim Gellatly, all of whom have given them airplay on national and regional radio. Undeniably, Bronto Skylift is quickly making a name for themselves and with a memorable live show and mind blowing musicianship it's not hard to see why. "When you go to see a band where one member is breaking down jazz-influenced drum fills and the other is piledriving his guitar (which is plugged into both a guitar and a bass amp) into a wall, it's definitely something you'll remember," exclaimed The Skinny. - Plugin Music

Deciding on the outcome of the Scotsman Radar Prize was always going to be painful. Cutting down from over 100 acts to a single winner requires the sort of ruthless slash'n'burn mentality that would make George Osborne squirm.

While there was eventually a level of consensus over the winner, there were several names which cropped up in more than a few of the judges' shortlists but inevitably missed out. From the outset, the purpose of this competition was the exposure of unsigned talent, so here we take another look at some extremely worthy contenders from the longlist...
In an age where dainty indie-folk and even daintier shoes are seemingly ruling the roost, Bronto Skylift – the perfectly pungent purveyors of anti-hero, grunge-meets-hardcore - are a breath of fresh air. Their track 'Wolf' is a chaotic blitzkrieg, but its musicianship and melody-making in times of bedlam should not be underestimated. - The Scotsman

An awkwardly good abrasive two piece from the top end of Scotland. Played the first three tracks of their album, The White Crow, for the first time an hour before tonight’s show and immediately had to reorganise the show, only heard the first three tracks so far, love the first three tracks, we’ll get to track four and beyond next time. Abrasive noise, awkward noise, cantankerous shouty spiky sometimes very heavy noise, primal preciseness and yes, we want more of this tight controlled clever noise...

- Organ Magazine

So here we are stood on an an island surrounded by the river Ness just a mile out from the Inverness city centre.
The island has been sculpted into a park, with an amphitheatre in the middle of it. It’s beautiful spot in the early evening haze of the late spring light and a perfect spot for some quiet hanging out…
But there’s some people here with a very different agenda.
I’m at the Go North music conference in Inverness. Having spent the afternoon on a panel about DIY music I’ve been led up the garden path so to speak and joined the merry throng on a magical mystery tour. We have been told to met at 5.30 outside a bar in town and our guide has walked us along the river through a thick woodland, past random joggers and dog walkers to this amphitheatre.
In the the middle of the space are two battered amps and two skinny dudes who are sat by a guitar and a stripped own drum kit and a mic attached to a broken branch of a tree- within seconds of us arriving they explode into noise.
It’s really wonderful.
Bronto Skylift are an amazing group.
A duo from Inverness and the Orkney Islands- they make the same kind of self expression, free jazz-skronk- punk as the classic Glasgow/ Edinburgh, late eighties/early nighties death to trad rock noisenik scene of the Dog Face Hermans, Badgewearer, Dawson, Stretchheads. It’s the same kind of filthy, kinetic explosion of energy, the same sort of frantic drumming, the same kind of rat-a-tat frenetic cowbell action, the same sort of imagination and the same sort of wilful thrill of the electric power of the form. The same type of filthy imagination as the sort of bands I was documenting in my recent Death To Trad Rock book
The coolest thing is that they are totally unaware of this tradition of bands. Bronto Skylift have arrived here all by themselves.
That rules.
They got here via their rock routes and you can hear the filth of Black Flag, the explosive energy of hardcore and the detuned heaviness of grunge in their sound as well. It was like they are the only people in the world who understood that Curt Cobain was an experiMENTAL underground musician who was closer to the likes of the Ex than the mainstream.
They are also wilfully non conformist. They are part of an organisation called Detour Scotland who put gigs on in off the wall places.
This gig in the park is no one off event- they have played under the railway bridge in Edinburgh, a one way street in Glasgow and on the England/Scotland border, they have a website full of films of cool and weird underground gigs and they are utterly amazing. - John Robb's Blog

Spasmodic riffs and songs with unsettling patterns set somewhere between a math-rock enthusiast having a fit and scuzzy riffs getting down and dirty with your speakers. Those pesky Scots!!!

Iain Stewart and Niall Strachan must have lived a quite repressed childhood to be able to unleash this cacophony of scattergun riffs and epileptic meltdowns, emotions buried down so deep that only a drum-kit and guitar are able to channel their eccentricities, but may we be thankful for this as their self produced debut record The White Crow is an energetic, ferocious listen.

Many tracks such as ‘Burt Bacharancid’ and ‘Danny Glover Isn’t Dead’ contain such spasmodic riffs that it is physically unable to sit still, a bit like wearing an itchy jumper that’s on fire. But they’re not just about the danceable side of rock as Niall’s screaming on ‘Wolf’ accompanied by the math-rock opening section add a depth and technical superior side to the band which is admired and feared in equal measures.

Like many acts which comprise a duo, the effort put into the performance of the songs is always greater, and you would be right to assume that their live shows are where Bronto Skylift really come into their own. Just admiring a track like ‘Cobblepot’ with its array or time signature changes, funky to frenetic riffs, gentle to aggressive vocals, all the while fitting together as a whole, nothing feeling forced into it just for the sake of it, and keeping your feet-a-tappin’, suggests that there may be no limits to where these Scots could go.

As ‘Transgenderbenderender’ brings an almost plainly sorrowful end to The White Crow, you have to really listen to the whole record again just to try and get a little bit closer to understanding just what the hell is going on, but then that is the best kind of record, not one that leaves you bored of stale, surrounded in modality or repetitiveness, but rather one that makes you go “I’ve got to hear that again!” And a bigger compliment couldn’t be paid to The White Crow. - Bearded Magazine

Generalising all emerging Scottish bands for one moment, they can be divided up into two camps. In the first camp, musicians so fed up of being rained on all the time and after one too many sunshine-less summers have become bitter, twisted and utterly miserable see: Frightened Rabbit, Glasvegas, The Twilight Sad etc... and in the second, a group of musicians that exude a playful exuberance at a chance to escape the rotten weather and perhaps maybe have an opportunity to see the sun as the rays deflect through the window of a particularly dusty room: Dananananaykroyd

Bronto Skylift, with songtitles like 'Burt Bacharacnid', 'Gameboy' and 'Transgenderbenderender' present themselves as one of the fun-loving cheery group, but that's just what they want you to think. The opening 'tribute' to Bacharach revolves around a menacing scream of 'This is what I want. This is how its gonna happen', like a kidnapper surveying a room of hostages and detailing an imminent rape or something equally horrific. 'The White Crow' is a manically dark album that is like watching someone's sanity slowly unravel inside a hall of mirrors, there's so much going on, and it's all pretty disturbing. Every conceivable barrier to social interaction is dealt with in the same manner: anguished howling punctuated by stabs of noise. Totally drenched in paranoia, pain and anxiety, this album sounds like the end result of a day where the protagonist has had his partner break up with him, been threatened with violence by the school bully and then told he has a few days to live, long enough to record this rather disturbed creation. If you think Rolo Tomassi are too keen on the odd moment of calm then Bronto Skylift will feed your hunger for unrelenting aggression.

Still they do occasionally take a slight rest from their convincingly unhinged outlook from time to time. One of their more relaxed efforts 'Gameboy' is almost funky, set to a hypnotic chorus that would make the Sugarhill Gang proud, without compromising the intensity of the music. 'Eagle/Falcon' is great just for the overt paranoia and the huge, thundering riff that introduces it. The White Crow is as fine a present-day hardcore/math-core album as anyone could ask for. Lively, unashamedly insane and louder than an exploding Hawaiian shirt. Just plain brilliant.

9 out of 10 - The 405

With the imminent release of terrifying new album ‘The White Crow’ set to firmly establish Bronto Skylift as the premier noise/rock band in Scotland, it seems an appropriate time for a reappraisal.

The problem Bronto are always going to have with their recorded output is that a huge part of what makes them so special is their dynamic, familial, brain-shatteringly loud live performances. Bronto are absolutely unmissable live. They are a charismatic, huge presence onstage. It really wouldn’t matter if you liked the songs or not because the sheer brute force of sound combined with the nuanced performance renders the songs little more than bit part players in the grand scheme of the live show.

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This dichotomy of performance versus product is not unique to Bronto and some bands struggle for years drawing amazing audiences while never connecting emotionally with a mass market for their songs and Bronto’s last EP, ‘The Bearded Fish And the Jackalope’, certainly suffered for trying too hard to recreate Bronto’s live performance. The fact of the matter is that is NEVER going to happen.

‘The White Crow’ steadfastly refuses to even attempt to deliver a recreation of Bronto Skylift live. In fact, the album kicks off with a ‘compressed to within an inch of its life’ drum sample and immediately the stage is set for something quite different. Album opener ‘Burt Bacharachnid’ eases the listener into this brave new Bronto world by being the most traditional Bronto song on the album. This is a good thing as it sets the template for everything which follows; the intricate drum patterns, the double tracked vocals, the massive, intermittent, ferocious staccato sensory assault. All the elements are present and correct. Where this album differs from previous Bronto recordings are the sundries. Listen for the breakdown where Niall whispers “this is what I want” with the double tracked vocals spread wide apart in the mix as the hi-hats fizzle in the background. The boys have learned their lesson; the studio is where they will create their legacy, and what a legacy it could be.

‘Tiger’ is the next song to offer up evidence that ‘The White Crow’ is a game changer. It has the same 10 second blast of testosterone that Bronto fans will already be well aware of, but the riff has been altered just so. The drums are just that bit more playful, and Niall sounds like a singer in a band. An angry, commanding, screaming ball of fury. ‘Danny Glover Isn’t Dead’ gets the treatment and not for the last time on the album Bronto sound fucking groovy! I am not joking, actually groovy. It genuinely sounds fun and Iain’s frenetic drum attacks are allowed time and space to create a mood and a feel.

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While this new danceability is hinted at in ‘Danny Glover’ it is hammered home during ‘Gameboy’ and this more than anything showcases the work done in the studio. The whole song has been slowed down, the drumbeat has been stripped to its bare, volcanic bones then compressed and filtered. The beats wouldn’t sound out of place on Ice T’s ‘OG’, or Cypress Hill’s ‘Black Sunday’, and as for Niall’s vocals, they are a revelation. Not only can you hear him singing, you want to hear him sing. This is a different singer from the one who burst onto the scene when Bronto first started raising eyebrows a year ago. Forget everything you believed you knew about Bronto Skylift, this isn’t a new ball game; we are talking about a completely different sport here.

On and on we go, ‘eagle/falcon’ could be Death From Above at their most vitriolic best. The guitars are huge, the drums are bigger and the giant, shout-along chorus makes you want to rip your

clothes off and run through a plate glass window! ‘Wolf’ is a song disguised as an industrial wind turbine! It swaggers around your head like the bastard son of Motorhead and Husker Dú, pretending to be nice but secretly only one wrong word away from smashing your teeth in with a chunky 80’s ashtray.

‘Cobblepot’ was probably the main disappointment on ‘The Bearded Fish..’ EP and it highlights how far Bronto Skylift have come in the past 6 months that they have managed to even come close to recording a version of the song which does the live performance justice. I am happy to say there is nothing to disappoint here, ‘Cobblepot’ is just phenomenal. There are no superlatives fit enough to be used in describing how much of an improvement has been made here, ‘Cobblepot’ is the sound of a thousand angry bears running amok in a salmon farm. It is quite literally unimaginable, you really have to try it out for yourself, just switch on, turn it up and gasp.

The album ends with a double whammy in the shape of ‘One In Four’ (Trent Reznor-esque industrial mayhem) and ‘Transgenderbender’(an actual reproduction of the sound a jet engine makes during takeoff using guitars and drums) and then it’s all over. 9 songs, 7 of which are under 3 minutes long. The album contains lots of elements y - Glasgow Podcart

I'm assuming you all know by now that Bronto Skylift are a fucking good live band: relentlessly exciting, magnificently aggressive and deeply sexy in a way that only the best two-piece bands can manage. Get yours at Dundee Doghouse on 10 Sep and Edinburgh Sneaky Pete's on 12 Sep. - The Skinny

They say a band is only as good as its drummer, and with that in mind Bronto Skylift could be an earth-shattering proposition. Technical proficiency is something this duo has in abundance, but like so many skilful instrumentalists, the desire to overcomplicate often overshadows the power of song. When Bronto Skylift harnesses their animal instincts and savage virtuosity they sound colossal. Eagle/Falcon is a face-melter, and Gameboy swaggers like it’s just wiped its arse with a dozen red roses – yes, it’s that prickly. There’s a lot to be said for making an ugly brain-baking noise and we could all do with our ears getting shot to shit from time to time; The White Crow delivers brutal, bowel-bleeding riffs and no shortage of chin-stroking ‘how do they do that’ moments but that’s where the fun begins and ends. If you hear with sensitive ears, this is not for you. [Alan Souter] - The Skinny

SO THERE’S THIS BAND I KNOW…

Every band who picks up their instruments, takes up residency in a practice studio and hones
their craft, dream of one day becoming their idols. Or at least a representation of what their
idols meant to them.

For years it was Oasis et al that inspired the local band majority, more recently it has been
Biffy Clyro and even more recently Frightened Rabbit. Singing in a close to home drawl with
dynamics a plenty has been the order of the day.

For the most part this has been fairly uninspiring. I’ve seen many bands conform to
the formula, reproducing well but doing nothing to make me want to pay any attention.
Tonight at King Tuts I saw the epitome of ‘onwards and upwards’. Bands that have
assumed the character of their recent counterparts but taken some very different routes.

Bronto Skylift are a law unto themselves. They hold the accolade of being the first band to
be kidnapped by Detour Scotland (under a bridge in Stirling) and are truly monstrous. They
would not be out of place on the main stage at Reading or Download.
Their sheer ferocity and intensity make for an enthralling half hour, even despite guitarist/
vocalist Neil being restricted to a chair through injury. I could happily watch Ian drum all day.
His hands move faster than my eyes can see, although I’m pretty sure my ears would not be
grateful for a day in the hands of such a man.

These guys deserve to be icons of straight up angry rock. I’d definitely recommend making
a show as if your existence was dependent on it. (Smashing Mirrors – July 29th 2010) - Smashing Mirrors Music Blog

And
Now for Something Completely Different..... There has been an overly large
percentage of indie-folk bands in the past few months. So it's time to bring in
some rock, and not your average run of the mill rock. No this is some of the
most ferocious, intense noise to have emerged from this wee nation in many
a year. What makes it even more impressive is that there are only two of
them. Now I am going to be honest, when I first heard Bronto I didn't 'get it'.
Whilst all my fellow blogger-type friends went crazy over it, I found myself
slightly bemused as to what all the fuss was about. Then I saw them play live,
then suddenly it all made perfect sense. It really was a jaw dropping moment,
that soon turned into a massive grin. Quite simply they are one of the most
brutal and entertaining bands I have ever seen. When I saw them up in
Inverness they had their drumkit set up in the middle of the dancefloor, they
are beasts that just won't be tamed. Their debit album, 'The White Crow', is

an intense head fuck of an album, be warned it's not for the faint hearted.
Anyway, that's enough of my ramblings I'll leave it to the boys to provide
some words of sense.
Would you care to introduce yourself?

We are Niall and Iain. Iain is from the Orkney Islands and Niall is from
Inverness

How would you describe the music you make?

How did the two of you first meet and decide to form a band together?

Niall got the name at college and did some recording/gigs under bronto as a 3
piece but it wasn't complete until Iain got introduced through a mutual friend
and we thought it would be more interesting to be a 2 piece.

Strumming guitars, hitting skins and noises out the mouth

What process goes into the way you write songs?

Sometimes they come out of just jamming in the practice room and seeing
where we can take it. Other times Iain may have a drum beat and then we
build it from there. Or Niall will have songs or riffs that he's written on acoustic
guitar.

Dillinger Escape Plan, Shellac, PJ Harvey, Converge, Refused, Madonna

You are possibly on the most unrelenting live bands that I have ever had
the good fortune to witness. Did you find it difficult to replicate that

amount of energy on your debut album?

We decided before we made the album that the live show and our recorded
output would be two entirely different things. Trying to recreate on record
what you do in a live setting is almost always doomed to failure so we actually
tried to make a 'record' with it's own atmosphere and layers but is still bristling
with energy. Our producer Marcus Mackay was amazing and able to get
sounds that we asked for and some good ideas to throw in. We're already
looking forward to the next record now that we've found him.

The Detour Scotland boys seem to love having you boys play in some
pretty weird places, in the middle of an island, down back street lanes.
Is there anywhere that you think the boys couldn’t convince you to play?

Don't think so. We want them to push us further!

Having played gigs in Norway and Ireland, are you looking to try to
continue to play gigs a bit further afield than just Scotland?

Yep gonna be hitting Scotland, England and possibly Germany and Ireland
before the years end.

Lastly, what can we expect to see/hear from you in the rest of the year
and beyond?

Well on August 6th we are releasing a single from the album for free
download at www.brontoskylift.bandcamp.com the song is called Wolf. We
will have our first music video online aswell which is shaping up brilliantly.
Few tours coming together, supporting Kong, playing King Tuts 20th
birthday...busy bees There will be more with Detour Scotland maybe at a
festival that coincides with single launch At Xmas we will prob have another
single out and we will be beginning to demo our second record. And for 2011
we have America in our sights but we can't say anything at the moment! buy
our album here - www.brontoskylift.bigcartel.com - Peenko Music Blog Site

OUR Track of the Month for September comes from chaotic, genre-mashing Glaswegian duo Bronto Skylift, who have recently been tearing up this summer's festival circuit.

Scheduled to play in-store at both Glasgow and Edinburgh branches of Avalanche Records, Bronto will now just play Glasgow on 4 September after the Edinburgh store deemed them too loud. Their debut EP (which includes this month's TOTM, Cobblepot) is officially released on 7 September, ahead of a promotional tour which sees them visit the Norwegian Garage Festival on 12 September. You can also hear them live in session on Vic Galloway's BBC Radio 1 show on 16 September before they embark on a tour across Scotland and Ireland. (www.myspace.com/brontoskylift) - The Scotsman

GLASGOW DUO BRING THE NOISE!

The White Stripes barely cut it.Winnebago Deal came closest,but the guitar and drums only set-up has always had its detractors.Bronto Skylift,however,quickly shut the doubters up by carnally crashing the festival tent with Lioness,followed by Cross-Dress Thumbwar Championship and Eagle/Falcon,which is like watching a stripped-down Helmet at their most intense.They're also set-up in the middle of the stage,facing each other.We don't seem to matter.And we like it.
Dripping sweat while a tremerous wailing wall of feedback soaks the marquee, Bronto singer Niall Strachan remains facing drummer Iain Stewart for Danny Glover Isn't Dead. "This ...is a love song.Is it a love song? (Stewart shrugs) Yeah.A love song." Before anyone can decide if he's taking the piss,they're already chopping chunks out of Hekla.Dropping from the stage to bang his body and battered guitar into the hefty PA,ratcheting up the bursting bloodshot level noise for Cobblepot,the guitar goes skyward over the barrier,landing on the beer-soaked ground and dirty feet of the jaw-dropped audience.Nobody moves.They're the anti-Ting Tings.Who says Scotland hasn't got it's dirty noisey messed-up grimey groove back? - Kerrang

Given how hard these two guys play in the live arena, recording them must be as much a matter of trying to cut out the sound of shaking fixtures and windows as anything else. As expected, this succinct little EP resides stubbornly in the red throughout. Lioness has the obvious hooks of a flagship song, but it's on Tiger and Hekla that Bronto really find themselves. Skittish and ill-tempered, both tunes shirk off previous grungy comparisons and see the band press on towards art-punk and its refreshing potential for musical adventure. Devotees will also quickly recognise the Rhubarb-and-Custard-esque gonzo guitar line of closing number, and live favourite Cobblepot. - The Skinny

Given how hard these two guys play in the live arena, recording them must be as much a matter of trying to cut out the sound of shaking fixtures and windows as anything else. As expected, this succinct little EP resides stubbornly in the red throughout. Lioness has the obvious hooks of a flagship song, but it's on Tiger and Hekla that Bronto really find themselves. Skittish and ill-tempered, both tunes shirk off previous grungy comparisons and see the band press on towards art-punk and its refreshing potential for musical adventure. Devotees will also quickly recognise the Rhubarb-and-Custard-esque gonzo guitar line of closing number, and live favourite Cobblepot. - The Skinny

"At the first practice, we knew we had a beast on our hands." The frank words of Niall Strachan - one half of two-man crew, Bronto Skylift - speak for themselves and could not be any more true. The Glasgow-based duo are an experiment in monstrous noise and big dirty jams - which could be likened to the primal, sluggish batterings of heavier Nirvana with the experimental bent of Helmet - that are both obnoxious and intrusive enough to bore their way into your skull like a drill to the brain. When you go to see a band where one member is breaking down jazz-influenced drum fills and the other is piledriving his guitar (which is plugged into both a guitar and a bass amp) into a wall, it's definitely something you'll remember.

The idea that some may be startled by the noise Bronto Skylift create and perhaps not quite get it, or better still, be scared, doesn't seem to phase the band, as drummer and other half, Iain Stewart explains: "If we’re playing a small venue and people have to leave because it’s too noisy or loud, that’s definitely a success. Most people seem to appreciate the energy, even if they’re not into the music." Echoing the sentiment, Niall agrees: "We've found we do get quite extreme opinions on Bronto. People either get into it or pretty much hate us, which is great. As long as we're stirring something inside we're doing it right."

They both hail from more northern territories - Orkney for Iain, and Inverness for Niall - and the band were introduced by mutual friends. After the seemingly epic first practice, a band was born. Though initially featuring a third member on bass, the band was promptly trimmed down to two which, according to Niall, seems to have worked out for the best. "For our first gig, a couple of years ago, we had someone else in, but they were too concerned with how much drink they could have rather than concentrating on the gig, so they got ditched and we just played and enjoyed it so much as two piece that we went with that." It would also appear that there are no plans to change this any time soon. "We get quite a lot of requests from bass players to join," Niall says, "but we don't want to mess with what we've got."

Besides the rigidity of their line up, the intentions and influences behind Bronto Skylift seem organic and fairly improvised. "We usually just jam whatever we have in our heads," says Iain. "It may subconsciously be influenced by something we’ve been listening to, but we definitely don’t aim to have a certain sound." The band both come from fairly normal yet slightly different musical backgrounds, with Iain being involved with school orchestras and jazz bands, alongsinde the odd garage effort, and Niall spending most of the time penning songs whilst holed up in his bedroom. Regardless of background and influence though, the importance lies on the band having its own identity, according to Niall. "I think it's far more exciting and liberating to find your own sound, rather than simply saying 'we must sound like a combination of our favourite bands', which can work, but I think that would limit a band like us."

Alongside touring plans and playing with other bands - Iain is a member of three others - the duo are readying themselves to record a debut full-length later this year. With this much activity in the pipeline and speculation, perhaps even reputation, growing, you'd best prepare for the imminent and noisy invasion of Bronto Skylift. - The Skinny

"At the first practice, we knew we had a beast on our hands." The frank words of Niall Strachan - one half of two-man crew, Bronto Skylift - speak for themselves and could not be any more true. The Glasgow-based duo are an experiment in monstrous noise and big dirty jams - which could be likened to the primal, sluggish batterings of heavier Nirvana with the experimental bent of Helmet - that are both obnoxious and intrusive enough to bore their way into your skull like a drill to the brain. When you go to see a band where one member is breaking down jazz-influenced drum fills and the other is piledriving his guitar (which is plugged into both a guitar and a bass amp) into a wall, it's definitely something you'll remember.

The idea that some may be startled by the noise Bronto Skylift create and perhaps not quite get it, or better still, be scared, doesn't seem to phase the band, as drummer and other half, Iain Stewart explains: "If we’re playing a small venue and people have to leave because it’s too noisy or loud, that’s definitely a success. Most people seem to appreciate the energy, even if they’re not into the music." Echoing the sentiment, Niall agrees: "We've found we do get quite extreme opinions on Bronto. People either get into it or pretty much hate us, which is great. As long as we're stirring something inside we're doing it right."

They both hail from more northern territories - Orkney for Iain, and Inverness for Niall - and the band were introduced by mutual friends. After the seemingly epic first practice, a band was born. Though initially featuring a third member on bass, the band was promptly trimmed down to two which, according to Niall, seems to have worked out for the best. "For our first gig, a couple of years ago, we had someone else in, but they were too concerned with how much drink they could have rather than concentrating on the gig, so they got ditched and we just played and enjoyed it so much as two piece that we went with that." It would also appear that there are no plans to change this any time soon. "We get quite a lot of requests from bass players to join," Niall says, "but we don't want to mess with what we've got."

Besides the rigidity of their line up, the intentions and influences behind Bronto Skylift seem organic and fairly improvised. "We usually just jam whatever we have in our heads," says Iain. "It may subconsciously be influenced by something we’ve been listening to, but we definitely don’t aim to have a certain sound." The band both come from fairly normal yet slightly different musical backgrounds, with Iain being involved with school orchestras and jazz bands, alongsinde the odd garage effort, and Niall spending most of the time penning songs whilst holed up in his bedroom. Regardless of background and influence though, the importance lies on the band having its own identity, according to Niall. "I think it's far more exciting and liberating to find your own sound, rather than simply saying 'we must sound like a combination of our favourite bands', which can work, but I think that would limit a band like us."

Alongside touring plans and playing with other bands - Iain is a member of three others - the duo are readying themselves to record a debut full-length later this year. With this much activity in the pipeline and speculation, perhaps even reputation, growing, you'd best prepare for the imminent and noisy invasion of Bronto Skylift. - The Skinny

THERE'S no doubt Bronto Skylift have got big ambitions – and a sound to match the world's largest truck-mounted hydraulic platform range.
advertising

"I was nearly run over by one three years ago in Glasgow and I took that as a sign," said former Inverness musician Niall Strachan.

He and Orkney man Iain Stewart both met up in Glasgow as students at a party held by mutual friends. They got talking music, as you do, and soon they'd started creating the giant sonic footsteps that now reveal the full noise monster that is Bronto Skylift.

"We celebrated our two-year anniversary with a gig in February," Niall revealed.

And recently the duo got to play their first festival, when they appeared at the goNorth tent at RockNess.

Local knowledge paid off early – though it may have led to a slightly un-rocknroll arrival at the RockNess site.

"We just got the normal bus through to Dores. With our friend Pete it was just us on the bus with three nice ladies that lived in Dores. It must have been the least rocknroll arrival at a festival ever. But I suppose it shows we weren't getting too caught up with all the surrounding nonsense. And I suppose that applies to all facets of Bronto Skylift," laughed Niall.

Maybe it's because Bronto Skylift have so many skills of their own that they barely need to call on the professional services of people such as graphic designers or sound engineers.

"Music and art are my two favourite things," said Niall, who is the man responsible for the signature band logos with stickmen and giant dinosaur.

"Marry the two and you have the whole aesthetic of the band and people can appreciate both."

So that's the posters, T-shirts and CD design taken care of – such as the duo's debut single Eagle/ Falcon, out last Christmas.

"I came down to Glasgow to study sound engineering," said Niall.

"So that tied in well with my other music stuff. I've recorded other bands too, but the way things are going, more and more I'm having to concentrate on the band. Iain studied electronics, so he can fix my guitar and rewire it if anything's wrong.

"So I suppose we are pretty self-sufficient."

And they seem to have the sound for live gigs sussed too.

Niall's stickman drawings have become the band's logos on everything from posters to T-shirts.

"Before, you were always a bit worried about complaining to the sound desk in case they made the sound worse!" Niall admitted. "But now one of our friends is on board to come and take care of our sound at gigs for us."

And that's going to be useful this summer because the band have regular dates planned out all the way through July and August – including festivals.

"Amazingly we've managed to get most of the Scottish festivals," said Niall, before revealing that as well as the set at RockNess, the band has been picked to play T In The Park's T Break stage on the Saturday evening and also the Wickerman Festival on July 25.

Other plans for the year include more recording – this time a new single in August.

"We also want to try and tour once we've done that. We've organised all that ourselves up until now, but we have a couple of people coming on board to help us out with that."

The RockNess crowd very nearly didn't get to hear Niall's voice at all. He explained: "As part of goNorth, we'd played in Inverness at the Market Bar the night before, and I'd destroyed my voice. The next day I woke up and couldn't speak properly, so when we got to RockNess I asked Sarah from the artist liaison team if I could get some green tea and honey – and I drink loads of green tea.

"And luckily I got my voice back in time for our set. But it might not have been the green tea.

"I had a big shot of Talisker from the stand beside the goNorth tent just before I went on. So maybe it was that – though I don't even like whisky.

"I'm more of a tea Jenny!"

Prospective green tea sponsors might like to take note. But with Bronto Skylift having a sound so big that it would deafen your average brontosaurus, Niall quite liked the idea of Bronto-branded earplugs!

- Highland News

THERE'S no doubt Bronto Skylift have got big ambitions – and a sound to match the world's largest truck-mounted hydraulic platform range.
advertising

"I was nearly run over by one three years ago in Glasgow and I took that as a sign," said former Inverness musician Niall Strachan.

He and Orkney man Iain Stewart both met up in Glasgow as students at a party held by mutual friends. They got talking music, as you do, and soon they'd started creating the giant sonic footsteps that now reveal the full noise monster that is Bronto Skylift.

"We celebrated our two-year anniversary with a gig in February," Niall revealed.

And recently the duo got to play their first festival, when they appeared at the goNorth tent at RockNess.

Local knowledge paid off early – though it may have led to a slightly un-rocknroll arrival at the RockNess site.

"We just got the normal bus through to Dores. With our friend Pete it was just us on the bus with three nice ladies that lived in Dores. It must have been the least rocknroll arrival at a festival ever. But I suppose it shows we weren't getting too caught up with all the surrounding nonsense. And I suppose that applies to all facets of Bronto Skylift," laughed Niall.

Maybe it's because Bronto Skylift have so many skills of their own that they barely need to call on the professional services of people such as graphic designers or sound engineers.

"Music and art are my two favourite things," said Niall, who is the man responsible for the signature band logos with stickmen and giant dinosaur.

"Marry the two and you have the whole aesthetic of the band and people can appreciate both."

So that's the posters, T-shirts and CD design taken care of – such as the duo's debut single Eagle/ Falcon, out last Christmas.

"I came down to Glasgow to study sound engineering," said Niall.

"So that tied in well with my other music stuff. I've recorded other bands too, but the way things are going, more and more I'm having to concentrate on the band. Iain studied electronics, so he can fix my guitar and rewire it if anything's wrong.

"So I suppose we are pretty self-sufficient."

And they seem to have the sound for live gigs sussed too.

Niall's stickman drawings have become the band's logos on everything from posters to T-shirts.

"Before, you were always a bit worried about complaining to the sound desk in case they made the sound worse!" Niall admitted. "But now one of our friends is on board to come and take care of our sound at gigs for us."

And that's going to be useful this summer because the band have regular dates planned out all the way through July and August – including festivals.

"Amazingly we've managed to get most of the Scottish festivals," said Niall, before revealing that as well as the set at RockNess, the band has been picked to play T In The Park's T Break stage on the Saturday evening and also the Wickerman Festival on July 25.

Other plans for the year include more recording – this time a new single in August.

"We also want to try and tour once we've done that. We've organised all that ourselves up until now, but we have a couple of people coming on board to help us out with that."

The RockNess crowd very nearly didn't get to hear Niall's voice at all. He explained: "As part of goNorth, we'd played in Inverness at the Market Bar the night before, and I'd destroyed my voice. The next day I woke up and couldn't speak properly, so when we got to RockNess I asked Sarah from the artist liaison team if I could get some green tea and honey – and I drink loads of green tea.

"And luckily I got my voice back in time for our set. But it might not have been the green tea.

"I had a big shot of Talisker from the stand beside the goNorth tent just before I went on. So maybe it was that – though I don't even like whisky.

"I'm more of a tea Jenny!"

Prospective green tea sponsors might like to take note. But with Bronto Skylift having a sound so big that it would deafen your average brontosaurus, Niall quite liked the idea of Bronto-branded earplugs!

- Highland News

Worried you'll end up covered in mud by Saturday night? Fear not: Glasgow post-grunge power duo Bronto Skylift are bringing their skin-scraping noise to the T Break stage. Don't call this lot the Scottish Nirvana: they make the Seattle trio look like pussies in comparison. Who needs bass guitars anyway? [GW] - The Skinny

Worried you'll end up covered in mud by Saturday night? Fear not: Glasgow post-grunge power duo Bronto Skylift are bringing their skin-scraping noise to the T Break stage. Don't call this lot the Scottish Nirvana: they make the Seattle trio look like pussies in comparison. Who needs bass guitars anyway? [GW] - The Skinny

Saturday's schedule kicks off with a Solus tent show from Bronto Skylift, who are really not the kind of band you want to soundtrack your hangover. So instead of being gently eased back into life, we're smacked around the chops by the savagely loud Glasgow duo, who play their instruments like they're trying to kill them. In "the closest thing we'll ever get to a love song", screeching feedback and vicious drumming underpin what I think is the repeated romantic yell "I'm a tiger, I'm a tiger!". A family with three young kids look a little perplexed, but three cooler boys aged about 10 start their own moshpit at the front. Shame on us for leaving them to start it. - The Skinny

Saturday's schedule kicks off with a Solus tent show from Bronto Skylift, who are really not the kind of band you want to soundtrack your hangover. So instead of being gently eased back into life, we're smacked around the chops by the savagely loud Glasgow duo, who play their instruments like they're trying to kill them. In "the closest thing we'll ever get to a love song", screeching feedback and vicious drumming underpin what I think is the repeated romantic yell "I'm a tiger, I'm a tiger!". A family with three young kids look a little perplexed, but three cooler boys aged about 10 start their own moshpit at the front. Shame on us for leaving them to start it. - The Skinny

Rockstars aren't known for having a firm grasp of mathematics. Perhaps that's why, every now and then, one of the simple equations of music fails to balance: to get a bigger sound, you need more musicians, right?

Wrong. Over the last few years, a succession of two-piece acts, from Rhode Island's Lightning Bolt to venerable Norwegian black metal crust punks (no, really) Darkthrone, have defied convention to prove that a drumkit and a single guitar can make all the noise you'll ever need.

Bronto Skylift, Glasgow's own two-pronged noisemongers, are reluctant to shed light on the eldritch mysteries surrounding how such a small ensemble manages to create such a huge racket. "We could never reveal our secrets!" laughs guitarist and vocalist Niall Strachan. "I think it's a combination of Iain hitting the drums really hard and me hitting my guitar really hard and brushing our teeth three times a day!"

Originally hailing from the north - Strachan is from Inverness while drummer Iain Stewart has roots in Orkney - Bronto Skylift formed in Glasgow in early 2007, quickly earning a reputation as energetic live perfomers. Though the band originally featured a bassist, three soon became two, and Strachan and Stewart have carried on as a duo ever since.

The Bronto Skylift sound is difficult to pinpoint, but there's nothing wrong with that, the band say. "The music maybe sounds familiar," says Strachan, sagely, "but at the same time you can't put your finger on it."

Falling somewhere in the nexus between grunge, sludge and noise rock, Bronto's songs are laden with driving, jagged riffs with plenty of opportunity for Stewart to demonstrate his virtuoso drumming skills. A comparison with Lightning Bolt is certainly valid, though Bronto's brand of noise is perhaps a little less chaotic and a bit more focused.

Like a few of UtR's recent favourites, including Hey Vampires and The Whisky Works, Bronto Skylift are full of praise for Glasgow's emerging punk and grunge scene. "There's a great community of bands at the moment, giving each other help and support but all ploughing their own paths," enthuses Strachan, who also acknowledges a musical sea-change in a city previously dominated by indie and acoustic acts. "There seems to be a move away from the twee stuff going about the past few years towards a heavier, more crunchy type of music," he muses.

Summer 2009 is set to be very busy indeed for Bronto Skylift. As well as landing a prestigious Saturday night slot on the T Break stage at T in the Park, the guys will also play at the Wickerman Festival in Dumfries at the end of July and have a spate of other shows lined up across Scotland. They're also recording new material when the opportunity arises and may just be seeking a label to release it on in the near future.

Proving once again that maths and music make for uneasy bedfellows, Bronto Skylift are definitely more than the sum of their parts.
- The Scotsman

Rockstars aren't known for having a firm grasp of mathematics. Perhaps that's why, every now and then, one of the simple equations of music fails to balance: to get a bigger sound, you need more musicians, right?

Wrong. Over the last few years, a succession of two-piece acts, from Rhode Island's Lightning Bolt to venerable Norwegian black metal crust punks (no, really) Darkthrone, have defied convention to prove that a drumkit and a single guitar can make all the noise you'll ever need.

Bronto Skylift, Glasgow's own two-pronged noisemongers, are reluctant to shed light on the eldritch mysteries surrounding how such a small ensemble manages to create such a huge racket. "We could never reveal our secrets!" laughs guitarist and vocalist Niall Strachan. "I think it's a combination of Iain hitting the drums really hard and me hitting my guitar really hard and brushing our teeth three times a day!"

Originally hailing from the north - Strachan is from Inverness while drummer Iain Stewart has roots in Orkney - Bronto Skylift formed in Glasgow in early 2007, quickly earning a reputation as energetic live perfomers. Though the band originally featured a bassist, three soon became two, and Strachan and Stewart have carried on as a duo ever since.

The Bronto Skylift sound is difficult to pinpoint, but there's nothing wrong with that, the band say. "The music maybe sounds familiar," says Strachan, sagely, "but at the same time you can't put your finger on it."

Falling somewhere in the nexus between grunge, sludge and noise rock, Bronto's songs are laden with driving, jagged riffs with plenty of opportunity for Stewart to demonstrate his virtuoso drumming skills. A comparison with Lightning Bolt is certainly valid, though Bronto's brand of noise is perhaps a little less chaotic and a bit more focused.

Like a few of UtR's recent favourites, including Hey Vampires and The Whisky Works, Bronto Skylift are full of praise for Glasgow's emerging punk and grunge scene. "There's a great community of bands at the moment, giving each other help and support but all ploughing their own paths," enthuses Strachan, who also acknowledges a musical sea-change in a city previously dominated by indie and acoustic acts. "There seems to be a move away from the twee stuff going about the past few years towards a heavier, more crunchy type of music," he muses.

Summer 2009 is set to be very busy indeed for Bronto Skylift. As well as landing a prestigious Saturday night slot on the T Break stage at T in the Park, the guys will also play at the Wickerman Festival in Dumfries at the end of July and have a spate of other shows lined up across Scotland. They're also recording new material when the opportunity arises and may just be seeking a label to release it on in the near future.

Proving once again that maths and music make for uneasy bedfellows, Bronto Skylift are definitely more than the sum of their parts.
- The Scotsman

Confounding all logic, Glasgow two-piece noise rockers Bronto Skylift somehow manage to be the loudest band to grace the T Break tent all weekend. On stage, the secrets behind Bronto's massive wall of sound are revealed quickly enough, with frontman Niall Strachan jacking into no less than four amps at the same time and wielding an impressive array of pedals.

It's all too much for some people to take, with a few casualties staggering out clutching their ears as Iain Stewart's snare drum hits reached ear-splitting levels. Those who do stay, however, are rewarded with a breathtaking set and an impromptu jam session with the band, as Strachan takes his guitar into the crowd to close the show, paying no heed to minor details like instrument cables and panicking stewards. [JM] - The Scotsman

Confounding all logic, Glasgow two-piece noise rockers Bronto Skylift somehow manage to be the loudest band to grace the T Break tent all weekend. On stage, the secrets behind Bronto's massive wall of sound are revealed quickly enough, with frontman Niall Strachan jacking into no less than four amps at the same time and wielding an impressive array of pedals.

It's all too much for some people to take, with a few casualties staggering out clutching their ears as Iain Stewart's snare drum hits reached ear-splitting levels. Those who do stay, however, are rewarded with a breathtaking set and an impromptu jam session with the band, as Strachan takes his guitar into the crowd to close the show, paying no heed to minor details like instrument cables and panicking stewards. [JM] - The Scotsman

Two-piece bands are an irregular find these days, especially ones who can make this much noise. With a simple set-up of drums, guitar and one hell of a screeching set of lungs, Glaswegian duo Bronto Skylift easily cram this modest venue with their grimey, metal clatter. Fresh from a rocking performance at T in the Park these guys are full of energy and bang up for getting sweaty in an intimate venue such as this (literally the case as vocalist Niall hot foots himself and guitar into the crowd for the closing track). The most impressive thing about this pair is the blatant musical connection they have on stage, the intensity never faltering for a second during the seven-track riotous set. - The List

Two-piece bands are an irregular find these days, especially ones who can make this much noise. With a simple set-up of drums, guitar and one hell of a screeching set of lungs, Glaswegian duo Bronto Skylift easily cram this modest venue with their grimey, metal clatter. Fresh from a rocking performance at T in the Park these guys are full of energy and bang up for getting sweaty in an intimate venue such as this (literally the case as vocalist Niall hot foots himself and guitar into the crowd for the closing track). The most impressive thing about this pair is the blatant musical connection they have on stage, the intensity never faltering for a second during the seven-track riotous set. - The List