Heard It Here First

The mightiest warriors of bass have assembled once again, unleashing Knights Of The Round Table Vol. 5 and bringing the rumble straight to your ears. The Knights of the Round Table compilations, released by specialized heavy bass and riddim label Disciple: Round Table, have become a trademark in the dubstep world. Bringing together the most forward-thinking artists in the realm of riddim and heavy dubstep, these compilations have included some of the most iconic and widely played tracks in the scene.

Knights of the Round Table Vol. 5 is no exception, bringing incredible aggression and sound design coupled with unconventional arrangements and grimy, gritty rhythms across thirty-two tracks. Beginning the series in 2017 with Round Table Volume 1, which featured Virtual Riot, Marauda, Dirt Monkey, Oolacile, and Dodge & Fuski, each successive release has showcased the brightest production minds in the heavy bass world. This year’s release brings the mightiest warriors of dubstep and riddim together for yet another bar-setting bass experience.

The compilation begins with a collaborative track from Disciple favorites Barely Alive and Samplifire, both also highly acclaimed producers in their own right. “Power Alliance” is a seamless fusion of their styles, giving us a taste of Barely Alive’s 80s themed sound design, and also bringing Samplifire’s iconic drums and song structure into play. When asked to comment on the track, Willie of Barely Alive had this to say:

 “We love Samplifire and we have been waiting three years to do another track with him since “Can’t Hold Back“. We worked really hard to top the last one and we are really excited to drop this collaboration!” – Barely Alive

Next up, French riddim phenoms Ecraze and Graphyt hit us with an earth-shaking tune called “Mechanoid Doom,”  building tension with an incredibly well-crafted intro. The track asserts “I have foreseen your doom” before dropping into a choppy, wobbly, and suitably robotic-sounding tune.

Following this ominous track is Bandlez’ newest banger, “Scouts Honor”  bringing bouncy energy and demanding that listeners “Mosh you lazy bums!” this high energy heater is certain to receive a great deal of playtime during the upcoming festival season.

If I were to extoll the virtues of every track, we’d be here all day, this compilation includes numerous incredible and groundbreaking tunes. The highlights for me personally were Versa’s “Task Failed,” which brings the mechanical stomp he has become famous for to the round table. Further, Automhate and OG Nixon give us immaculate VIPs of their classic tracks “Get Fucked” and “Moorg”. Typhon also returns with his incredibly distinct sound design on “Feel the Power,” which I have heard repeatedly played out by major names in the riddim scene at live performances, signaling his movement up the ladder of heavy bass.

Xaebor and Aweminus bring us excellent examples of their signature sound and create divergent but danceable rhythms with their tracks, titled “Badboi” and “Safety Last” respectively, improving their already considerable reputations and marking them out as artists to watch during this year’s festival season. Finally, both LAYZ and Dveight deeply impressed me with their Round Table offerings, creating clean and stompy tunes that are certain to break necks and open pits when played out live.

The compilation album also features tracks BAINBRIDGE, INFEKT, Codd Dubz, Dr. Ushuu, Frantik, BLVNKSPVCE and many other booming up and comers!

Knights of the Round Table Vol. 5 sets a high standard for bass music and has succeeded in creating a new wave of festival and concert staples for 2022. What did you think of the compilation? What were your favorite songs? Let us know in the comments below or on our social media pages!

Follow the HIHF team on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to keep up with fresh tunes, merch giveaways, exclusive mixes, interviews, and so much more!