Metal Anarchy

Time for the next edition of Metal Anarchy’s “new music showcase,” the feature where I introduce you to artists that readers of this site may find interesting. This time I have an exclusive Q&A with Elephant Takedown.

METAL ANARCHY: Tell me a little about your band:

ELEPHANT TAKEDOWN: Elephant Takedown is a 4 piece punk/hard rock band from Cambridge, UK. We started as a jam session between Phil (Lead Guitar) and Alex (Bass) before Simon joined the fold on drums. By December 2019 we’d discovered Ben who took over as lead vocals and from that point on we really started to gel as a band.

Within 2 months of Ben joining, we’d pretty much written our first EP using almost entirely new material. We booked into Headline Records for April 2020. Unfortunately the pandemic then came along and ruined that plan. Between us we had a lot of people we needed to shield from the virus, so we had to keep pushing the recording date. For us it was a difficult time for writing music, we write a lot better and faster when we’re all in the same room.

But come April 2021 we were in the studio with Piers Mortimer of Sweet Crisis, and he really helped us find our sound. We’d not done many real attempts at demos before going in, so we had these songs written, but putting it all together at Headline felt quite organic as an experience. The EP, “Forked Tongues & False Hopes,” later released on July 16th 2021.

METAL ANARCHY: Who are your main influences?

ELEPHANT TAKEDOWN: The point at which our influences as individuals crossover is quite small, but it comprises bands like Shinedown, Foo Fighters, Nirvana, and System Of A Down. They’re heavy, but they have energy. You can just as easily headbang as singalong. That’s the sweet spot for us; it’s about being able to achieve all those things in our music.

METAL ANARCHY: What is your latest release and why should readers of this site check it out?

ELEPHANT TAKEDOWN: Our latest release is “Forked Tongues & False Hopes.” It’s four songs that represent a range of things we love, from crushing Rage Against The Machine style riffs, to proper dance tracks, from ballads to progressive rock. It has something for everyone, and represents just an inkling of what we’re capable of. All that, and it’s setting up for our debut album which we hope is close on the horizon.

METAL ANARCHY: What can people expect when they go to your live shows?

ELEPHANT TAKEDOWN: Punchy bass, roaring guitars, and a tight show. We don’t do things in half measures. And of course, we’ve got a load of unreleased music you can’t get anywhere else!

METAL ANARCHY: Where do you see your band heading in 5 years?

ELEPHANT TAKEDOWN: The dream is two albums deep, regular shows, and a spot on some festival line ups each summer.