Release Date: September 4, 2020
Genre: Metalcore, Post-Hardcore, Pop Punk
Label: Independent
Gold, Frankincense, & Myrrh also known as GFM for short have independently released their second EP, Operation Take Over. The band is made up of the trio of sisters, CJ Sanders English on guitars and vocals, Magdalene “Maggie” Rose English on bass and vocals, and Evie “LuLu” Louise English on the drums and backing vocals. The sisters notably balance their influence into their sound from bands like Paramore all the way to Slipknot. Operation Take Over was produced by three different producers, the first being Joey Sturgis (Of Mice & Men, The Devil Wears Prada, Attack Attack!, Asking Alexandria), the other two being Eric Varnell and Billy Decker (Uncle Kracker, Sam Hunt).
The English sisters started inklings of even forming when the members all started taking music lessons at just five years old. These music lessons sparked a love of music in the girls which continues to grow to this very day. Eventually, they grew up to form GFM in 2016 in their hometown of Columbia, Tennessee, and shortly after got to work on their first album, Identity Crisis. In 2017, the trio hit the road for their first-ever tour of the United States. The band was so well received on the road that they toured the country once more in 2018 and the stint ended with a German festival appearance and was an instant favourite in Europe. In 2019, the sisters released their follow-up EP, Oh, The Horror!, that lead the band to perform yet another headline tour of the United States, as well as a return trip to Germany. For 2020, the year began with the sisters embarking on their first acoustic tour and saw the release of their singles, “I Don’t Need Your Fantasy” and “Taking Over.” Ultimately, COVID-19 disrupted their touring plans, as it did more many, many other musicians. This lead the girls to brainstorm fun and unique ways to engage with their fans who just like themselves, were stuck at home. While the three of them were in quarantine/lockdown like most of the world, they went on to host the very first “E-Tour” that took place over various social media pages over twenty dates all by live stream. The most recent shenanigans the band has got into is partner with SONGLINKR, which is a new video conferencing platform for musicians, where they wrote their parody tune, “Susan.” The sisters used SONGLINKR for an innovative fanbase writing session for the track, composing the song along with their fans while live-streaming it all on their Twitch channel.
Operation Take Over sets in gear with the metalcore track, “Bones.” Maggie’s devilish vocals wraps around the beefy guitar riffs before an infectious clean singing chorus breaks through the shades of heavy. The second track, “Selfish” is a level down from “Bones” featuring more of a post-hardcore sound and another pop-esque chorus. Whereas the track, “I Don’t Want To Lose My Friends” takes a sudden turn to show the girls’ pop-punk influence in the likes of Paramore, with a blatant pop-punk track that’s chock full of gang vocals throughout. “S M I L E” features an interesting cheerleader type of vocal chants throughout its three minutes and twelve-second length and culminates to a crazy breakdown near the end of the track. The single, “Taking Over” is a straightforward metalcore track with similarities to Slipknot’s popular track, “Psychosocial,” and it touches on their might and will to place their name within the genre and the music scene. The album’s final track, “I Don’t Need Your Fantasy,” shows off shades of punk rock, but at the same time is a pop-punk track down to its core.
Gold, Frankincense, & Myrrh are not your average teenage girl group. The three English sisters are, and have been breaking boundaries within the music industry and are looking to stamp their name within the book of the rock and metal scene. The band’s message on Operation Take Over, and their previous release for that matter, all feature an encouraging and positive message. Operation Take Over is the embodiment of confidence and with the EP’s lyricism, it’s certainly the truth. Over the last four years as a family band the three of them have all have grown and matured on many different levels. With COVID-19 it has resulted in tightening their sisterly bond and exploring their musical side with each other more than ever.
Check out more from Gold, Frankincense, & Myrrh: