Under - Stop Being Naive

"For underground bands these days, it’s hard to set yourself apart from your contemporaries, but Under have done it in grandiose fashion. ‘Stop Being Naive’ is a sonic assault to the senses that pummels you with a cacophony of genres. Above all, this band should be recognised as a promising act not to be ignored." - Already Heard

"Under are a unique offering and Stop Being Naive is an attention grabbing listen. There is so much going on that to write about every little element would take thousands of words. Do yourself a favour, just go check it out yourself." - gbhbl.com

"Challenging, innovative and dirty music with sludge, noise, psychedelia and twisted, demented details as a part of the overall experience... with subtly noxious fumes, appealing and hypnotizing in something of a filthy manner." - Already Heard

When Stop Being Naive arrived in October 2018, Under proved that their debut Slick was no fluke. The Stockport trio sharpened their claws, united sludge, doom, noise and prog, and delivered a record that doesn’t just press play—it grips, twists, and forces you to pay attention. With its release via APF Records, Stop Being Naive elevated the band: more ambitious, more complex, more audacious in its heaviness.

From the hulking opener Malcontents, which bulldozes its way in thick with distorted weight before introducing trippy, unsettling noise elements, the album barrels through nine tracks of shifting terrain. The Climb, Traitor’s Gate and P. Irving stand out as brutal highlights—each layering crushing riffs with experiments in dissonance, harmony, and moody interludes. There are moments of respite—gloomy, brittle textures, clean lines buried under a haze—like An Inch Of Sun and Happy (short but lethal)—but even in those quieter spaces the tension is always simmering, ready to erupt.

Vocals from all three members—Simon Mayo, Matt Franklin, Andy Preece—alternate between guttural aggression and clean, haunting passages, sometimes even harmonising in ways unexpected in a band this heavy. The instrumental interplay is restless: riffs twist in unusual time-signatures, dynamics feel unpredictable, and there are flashes of avant-garde with enough grit to pull you into the chaos rather than push you away.

The themes hit hard too—the title Stop Being Naive feels like a warning, mirrored in lyrics and arrangements that refuse comfort. Big Joke sneers with sarcasm, Grave Diggers drags you through misery, Circadian Driftwood closes the album with a disquieting finale that lingers well after the last chord.

Production serves the brutality without flattening its character. Guitars rumble, the low end is immense, drums march and crash through the mix with power, and the noise-rock edge gives it texture instead of just noise for its own sake. Under here aren’t just playing heavy—they’re sculpting heaviness into something ambitious, something that demands repeated listening.

Stop Being Naive isn’t an easy record, and that’s exactly why it's great. It’s bold, uncompromising, weird, and passionate. It confirms Under as serious contenders in the UK underground: a band willing to push boundaries, embrace discomfort, and still deliver riffs that hit like sledgehammers

UNDER
STOP BEING NAIVE

A1. Malcontents
A2. The Climb
A3. Traitor's Gate
A4. Big Joke

B1: P.Irving
B2: Grave Diggers
B3: Happy
B4: An Inch Of Sun
B5: Circadian Driftwood
B6: Soup (vinyl only bonus track)

TRT: 50:08

Under is:
Andy Preece - drums, vocals, keys
Matt Franklin - bass, vocals
Simon Mayo - guitar, vocals

All music written by Under
All lyrics by Matt Franklin

Recorded and Mixed by Rian Gamble
Mastered by John Simm at Hidden Colour Audio
Artwork by Blair Shaw at Blair Draws Stuff