Review by Richard Henry for MPM
New band for me, I haven’t heard these guys before so excited to see what they sound like!
Track 1 – Angel Dust
Opening with an industrial synth patter, then bang, straight into a slamming riff, nice drum groove as well behind it, almost an industrial hardcore vibe to this, more laid back verse with a stripped back guitar figure, then we hit into the pre-chorus and chorus section and we have like a harmonized vocal behind the main one, it’s a nice pick up going into this! Verse two goes into a double time on the drums, that is a brutal riff that hits after verse 2, almost like a djent style riff before going back into the chorus, then into a clean breakdown before into a full on beatdown section and then back into the chorus!
Track 2 – Black Clouds
An almost Prong style riff to start this, we have clean and screamed vocals in the verse of this, almost very Periphery like when this one hits into the chorus section, not just in the vocal delivery and the way the chorus builds reminds me a lot of Spencer but just the way the riff follows, we get a breakdown section after chorus 2 and it’s a half time groove and riff, really detuned part, and then we have a break into an atmospheric section before we come back into the chorus, its catchy as hell to be fair that chorus, great track!
Track 3 – Rock Bottom
This is the track out already and it’s a weird mix of an almost Volbeat riff but with a good bit of industrial noise over it with like a near pop feel to the vocals, again really interesting mix, this one has a chorus that reminds me of Warriors from Monster Truck, just the way it has the gang vocals in it, over the breakdown with what sounds like kids doing the chant, then we hit another breakdown section which is a syncopated drum and riff part, before we go into what they did on the last track and have a more atmospheric breakdown before we go back into that chorus, really catchy again!
Track 4 – Halo
Synthy dance style intro with a vocal filtered back in the mix a bit, this one when the riff hits it hits hard, but there is massive light and shade in this song as when you get the verse it goes into a more laid-back affair, that chorus is outstanding, so catchy but still doesn’t lose the heft in the guitars, that riff in verse two reminds me of something Browne would do in Monuments, but that chorus, it’s so good, the middle yet again utilizes like a gang vocal that sounds like kids doing it, then a little acoustic break before hitting that fantastic chorus again, this really is an outstanding track!
Track 5 – Smile
Ok, a more alternative style start to this one, very low fi guitar and then we get a sort of dancy drum loop coming in over the top of it and a subtle vocal in there as well, when you hit the chorus there is a nice staccato riff in there but if you listen in the background there is a really cool guitar figure following the riff and it really adds to it, female vocals come in verse 2 you really would be hard pushed not to think its massively poppy, then that follows into chorus 2 and really adds to it to be fair and breaks up the song, we get into a breakdown before the last chorus and the dual vocals continue, it’s a great track and shows a diversity to the rest of the tracks on the ep!
8 out of 10
Halo is an absolute stunner of a track and I feel tracks 1-4 really complement each other but Smile for me is the odd man out (this is just my opinion), it’s a great track on its own but not sure that it really adds to the ep, in saying that for hearing these guys for the first time I am really impressed, great tracks, really well produced, great ideas and massive choruses in a few tracks that will 100% stay with you!
Rock Bottom” From the new EP ” Rock Bottom ” Out April 7, 2023 Stream / Download at: https://bfan.link/rockbottom
Pre-Save the new EP “Rock Bottom” at: https://bfan.link/rock-bottom
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