By Jamie Butler
When this EP dropped into my inbox, I didn’t know what to expect as I’d never heard of them before. The only information I had to go on was if you are a fan of Trivium, Jinjer or Killswitch Engage you will enjoy this band. The reality, however, was that only one of those bands is comparable. If I had to compare them to any band, which I hate doing because a band should be able to stand on their own merits, it would be Scar Symmetry. The intricacy of the guitars, the juxtaposition of the clean and harsh vocals, and the groove of the drums/bass all melded into one pretty epic record.
Let’s talk about the record itself, shall we? From the very beginning it lulls you into a false sense of security till exactly one minute in then it’s all systems go, strap yourself in, and prepare for the ride of your life. The song structure had me constantly guessing where the song would go next. In between clean and harsher vocals that switched between a shotgun to the base of the skull to a warm hug from grandma at the drop of a hat was a symphony of distorted guitars occasionally venturing into the ambient and I’m here for that all day every day.
Having three guitarists REALLY pays dividends with this style of songwriting. Personal standouts for me on this album were the tracks ‘Exiled’, ‘Dimensions Apart’ and ‘Moonrider’. ‘Exiled’ in particular as a melodic quality underpinned by a subdued sense of aggression that doesn’t take away from the melody. How they managed to pull off an aggressive track that doesn’t particularly feel angry is a testament to this band. The same can be said for most of this album. It is the perfect blend between beauty and beast.
I had never heard of this band before and after listening to this EP I’m questioning how the hell I haven’t because this is a breath of fresh air in a world where everything, including music and arts, feels like it’s becoming homogenized. This will definitely be in rotation on my playlists going forward and I’m really looking forward to chapter two.
If you can check these guys out you will not be disappointed. I know I wasn’t.
- ‘At The Center of It All – Chapter I’ is out now. You can get your copy HERE.
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