Exeter metal quartet Sanguine veered from the road more-travelled early on, while they were still standing in the starting blocks of their hometown scene but already looking at an all-star list of supporters. The raw talent which caught Joey Jordison’s ear on initial demos, and the ambition and attitude that so struck Iron Maiden’s Adrian Smith he swiftly invited vocalist Tarin Kerrey to guest on his solo album, are a couple core qualities which have fuelled the band on their journey this far; to the point of gearing up to release a striking self-titled debut on February 13th.

Issued via the band’s own Sanguine Records, the release is the next step for a group who have always persevered to find their own way, no matter what may stand in it. If the sonic punch packed by the finished product does not betray unlikely recording locations such as a pig sty, burnt out aircraft hanger and the space above a local sex shop, the anything-but-ordinary music itself does suggest that the getting here has proved important as arriving.

Closely mirroring the methods employed to make it, the impression Sanguine’s debut leaves in sum total is of a band defiantly different, and refreshing ignorant of the rules. Appreciating the distinctive identity captured by the bigger picture though involves a track-by-track approach which will keep listeners guessing at every twist and turn. Out-and-out fist pounding displays of aggression such as ‘Anger Song’ and ‘Live, Consume, Drive’ demonstrate - in just 2.05 mins and 2.56 mins respectively - that, at full force, Kerrey’s effects-free howl can rival that of standard-setting female screamers like Tairrie B. To the flipside of these numbers fall eerie beauties ‘In The Sky’ and ‘A Place That You Call Home‘, which nod to more surprising, leftfield names cited amongst Sanguine’s eclectic spectrum of influences such as Massive Attack, and give Kerrey space to flex her considerable range as a singer.

However it’s the tunes which see six-stringer Nick Magee step up for some frantic vocal ball-batting against the frontwoman’s own versatile vocal chords which find Sanguine at their most dizzying and schizophrenic; delivering twisted humour on ‘Bangkok Nights’ and, in the head-spinning SOAD-esque structure of ‘Contagious‘, a track pitching itself as a dancefloor anthem made for the mosh pit.

While any one song would struggle to truly sum up an outfit who live in no fear of ever being labelled formulaic, next single ‘Given Up’ - out a week ahead of the album on February 6th - comes close to encapsulating what could be considered Sanguine’s core strengths across their eclectic debut. Formed around a relentless riff - which literally never gives up driving at the lugholes, and a Trojan horse hook - which really will get into your head and require some force to evict, it exemplifies the songcraft which shines at the centre of even the band’s heaviest moments.

Filmed at an old fairground, ‘Given Up’s accompanying video is an apt visual match, mixing rusted old rides, leering hall-of-mirrors horrors and a seriously troubled clown with the glitter of gaudy lights, vintage booths touting tickets to ride, and Kerrey cast as sultry ringmistress. Sanguine’s third and most ambitious collaboration with director Carl Shanahan (Mudvayne, The Dresden Dolls) the clip reveals the intuitive understanding emerging in this partnership, with the band appearing perfectly at home in the surreal carnival setting, and the onstage charisma and command of a crowd which mark them out as a ferocious live prospect shining through on screen.

Able to attest to how deserved that reputation for delivering a seriously intense show is will be Bloodstock patrons who caught Sanguine’s set at the festival in 2011 and, for that matter, the two billed headline acts who have thus far refused to follow them onstage. Whether you put your trust in the testimonials or are prepared to believe it only when you see it, you’ve got at least one very good reason to get a look at the live show for yourself!