The Human Improvement Process - S.T.A.R.S

The Human Improvement Process - S.T.A.R.S

S.T.A.R.S is Human Improvement Process’s debut EP. This EP was released in 2011 by Tek Records. With many bands searching for their own unique sound, Human Improvement Process is one of these bands. These guys sit somewhere in the between deathcore, hardcore and there are a few elements of power and heavy metal in there as well. Also there is a progressive feeling to the music as well. This EP is definitely something new and may show a new direction, they have mixed plenty of different elements together to make something different than the rest. They have pulled together elements of hardcore, deathcore, power and dubstep as well. The result of this is a very unique sound that doesn’t sound half bad. Also the implementation of these elements are fairly well done and well rounded.

As soon as you start playing the first track you can tell that these guys have a deathcore/hardcore approach to the music by the actual structure of the songs and the use of breakdowns. But also they have included elements of power/heavy metal this is usually in the chorus and the guitar solos. Also they have placed some dubstep beats to mix things up a little. Also unlike other deathcore/hardcore bands, these guys are very melodic and aren’t focused on heaviness or brutality. Instead they have a more progressive feel to them and have a strong atmosphere to them and also an upbeat mood (usually). These guys have successfully created their own sound without you feeling like you are listening to an avant-garde or experimental band. They have done this by separating the sections; they have isolated the deathcore/hardcore parts in the main parts of the song and the power/heavy metal in the chorus and the solos.   

The vocals are fairly well done as well and they put them in the right places. The clean vocals are nice and even throughout each line. Also they are very crisp and clear. The dirty vocals are pretty good as well. The growls sound like your ordinary hardcore growls, not too deep but not so high pitched that it sounds almost neutral. The screams on the other hand sound very awkward, they sound like childish shrieks similar to Chelsea Grin’s or early Cradle Of Filth’s screamed vocals. Also the screamed lyrics are said very quickly are sound like they have a sense of urgency. Although they have both screams and growls, the growls are predominately used. Also the vocalist stays in time with the rest of the band so well that it seems like the vocals are conducting the pace of the music rather than the drumming.

The drumming is also fairly good he stays at a nice quick pace without sounding like he is doing his own thing. The drumming sounds fairly death metal influenced with some awesome blast beats and a pretty good double bass/kick. But when the music gets slow he also gets slow to match the intended mood. The double bass his higher pitch than some of the other bands prefer, this creates the illusion that the double kick is going faster but it’s not really. It really works with the sound though.

The guitars are not bad as well, they do keep a nice steady pace throughout the whole EP and they are very tight with the vocals and the drums as well. Also, like the drumming they keep at the right pace for the intended mood of the track. Also the solos are very high in energy just like in most power/heavy metal bands. The blend of the different styles of guitar work really suits this band well. Also the lead guitarist creates some really uplifting atmospheres and ambient throughout most of the EP.  

There are a few really good tracks in this EP, some of them really show the innovation of this band combining some genres that some people would think wouldn’t go well together but they have made it go very well. There are some really guitar solos which I think is intended to promote a good feeling. They have fast high energy ones and some slower and more ambient ones. The fastest solo would have to be in the track The Process, it sounds like your typical thrash metal or death metal solo. If you want a slower or more ambient solo style the track S.T.A.R.S has a pretty good solo in it as well. Like many bands they have chosen to include an electronic element to their music, but unlike the other bands they have mixed it together with some more ambient music. This is pretty good because it balances the music rather than having 1 element more over powering than the other one. There is evidence of this in the track Remaining Hours. Remaining Hours is a musical and the feeling you get from listening to it is very uplifting and sound very calm.

It’s not the only track with some feeling in it. Almost all of the tracks have a strong element of emotion in it, the track Ascension Of Silence and S.T.A.R.S all have a really good feeling behind the music, weather it behind the music, vocals or both. The track Ascension Of Silence sounds like Hardcore/Metalcore in the main parts of the track but the choruses have a more power/heavy metal feeling to them. This is probably what really makes them special, they seemed to have put some thought in the way they have constructed their songs.

Although they have made some done a really good job of constructing their music, there are a few things that may make people a little disappointed. Firstly its they way the music turns out, what they have in the music and how they put it together are different things. What the music is composed of is really good but the delivery is actually quite bad. There are many parts in the EP where they have tried to cram too much sound in 1 little section. This is probably the biggest let down and really disrupts the whole mood of some of the tracks. The biggest impact is evident in the track S.T.A.R.S. It starts and stops all the way through. The outcome of this is that it sounds like a whole bunch of abrupt transitions between different parts. Also the vocals seem to be a little out of place. Not so much the growls and clean vocals, they are fine. It’s just those childish shrieks that seem to be out of place. They just don’t really suit their musical style at all. Also they sound like they are echoing, this also disrupts the flow of the music because the echoes carry on into where the other music should be. Although is only lasts for one second maximum. It still makes the songs sound very clustered. 

Also the breakdowns, breakdowns are usually the element that really enhances a track and because of this bands usually tend to put a lot of effort in composing a breakdown. The breakdowns here show no signs of any planning for their breakdowns. They sound very plain and just pointless. There is no sense of heaviness or anything. Also musically they don’t sound like they have put a lot of effort in it as well apart from them combining elements, its sounds a little too generic. There is nothing that really makes this band stand out from the rest musically.

Overall this is a fairly average debut EP, but it definitely has shown some innovation in the genre. There are many slight glitches with the EP but there are many things that still are worth listening to. The way they combine elements of power, deathcore, and hardcore suits surprisingly well and is definitely worth a try even if you sound like deathcore or power. I guess the really good thing about it is that it targets a really wide audience with is very important in distributing music. All the songs seem to be weighted the same when it comes to sheer brutality or heaviness, but the track The Process seems to be a bit more energetic than the other tracks but there is also a strong element of emotion in it as well. For people who like emotion I would recommend the track The Remaining Hours, although it is a musical. It seems very uplifting and has a really good progressive metal sound to it. For people who like a more power approach to the music I recommend the track Ascension Of Silence, although S.T.A.R.S is blends the elements very well I think that Ascension Of Silence does it even better. There are just some things that have a really large impact on the music and it is very generic so it has little replay ability. Overall is not bad and worth a listen to but don’t expect anything that will blow you away here. I give this a 13/20.

Shall Previal - Bury The Memories

Shall Prevail - Bury The Memories

Bury The Memories is Shall Prevail’s debut EP/Demo. This EP was self released and it is a cross between hardcore and metalcore. Australia has a really good reputation of bringing out many good quality bands. Many young Metalcore bands have trying to be the next big thing since Parkway Drive or Killed The Prom Queen. Lately there has been a wave of this kind of band and Shall Prevail is one of them.

Shall Prevail is a hardcore band with very strong Metalcore influences which are evident in their music. In particular it’s the Australian metalcore scene which has influenced many young bands alike. Shall Prevail have really tried hard to make a very good first impression with this release.  They have definitely done this and their sound basically has Australian Metalcore branded on it. As soon as you start listening to some of the tracks on this EP it is easy to tell who they have been influenced by and what they want to sound like. This EP has everything you would expect to have in a great release. Great sounding guitar riffs and solos, Metalcore breakdowns, vocals the suit the music and most importantly it has character and variety. Unlike many bands that try to copy other mainstream bands such as Parkway Drive, Shall Prevail is definitely not a cheap knock off. They still have those influences but have incorporated them into their own sound.

Musically they are very good. The riffs, drumming and vocals fit together like a glove. The breakdowns suit their style. Also they are not too fast so that they don’t have the full affect on the listener and they are not so slow that they try to be as heavy as they can and it sound really boring. Some may refer to this as chugging. But there you won’t find any of this here, it sound just right for the intended mood and not only that. You don’t hear the same breakdown all the time. They like to change tempo to keep things interesting. Also they use a very wide bandwidth and the breakdowns sound very deep and filling. Their breakdowns really kept the music alive.

This EP keeps a nice balance of fast paced and slow paced tracks. This is really good because I don’t want to keep hearing the same thing at the same speed over and over again. This mixture really makes things standout when it comes to different riffs and different sections of the song. Also because of this it’s interesting throughout the whole EP not just a couple of songs. Another thing is that weather or not you are in the mood for fast stuff or slower stuff or even anything in between you can find it here. When this is done right I find that this kind of thing makes EPs endlessly replayable.

The vocalist of Shall Prevail has that kind of scream or growl that you would normally expect from an Australian metalcore band. They don’t usually go very high pitched or extremely deep, the vocalist uses the right pitch and he carries his vocals long enough to have the full impact. Also he doesn’t try to show off his vocals by singing as fast as he can as long as he can. This is really good because it shows that this band isn’t a poser band and is the real deal. Also what I like about Shall Prevail is that they work as 1 unit rather than each person trying to play in time with each other.

The last thing are the guitars, the guitar work is very well done. It’s hard to think that a band such as these guys can write such good tabs. They really do spark some emotion and atmosphere in the music that just sounds great. Also they sound very matured for a teen band as well which makes me want to hear what they create in the future. I think that the best decision they have chosen to do is kept it simple. They don’t try to be overly technical or try to show off their talent too much. But they do have talent. Also they use a combination of acoustic and electric guitars which makes the music sound even more interesting. I think it’s great when bands like Shall Prevail mix and match with different styles to see what suits them the best. I think they may have found it.

Although this is a very good EP there are a few things that really disappointed me. First of all it’s the recording quality. I know and appreciate that this is an underground band which has a very limited budget. But with a band with so much potential I think that it’s a bit of a shame that they didn’t have access to high quality recording. With high quality recording I think they could have enhanced everything from the vocals to the drumming. I think it’s the drumming that has taken the biggest hit from the poor recording quality. It didn’t seem filling and a little off at times. Also it didn’t seem to have that oomph that people usually like to hear when it comes to drumming.

Also at times I can’t really hear the bass guitar, this makes the music sound very hollow and everything sounds over powering. Also when the guitarist does his solo, it sounds very distorted and seems to echo quite a lot, the result of this is that the sound starts to blend in together and sounds really bad. I mean it would have sounded better with proper recording but it was wrecked quite a bit. Also at times the drumming and guitars might be a little bit off. It is usually the case when the guitars are going fairly fast but the drumming doesn’t really seem to be matching the pace. I’m not sure if it’s the drummer that is off pace or maybe it’s recording, either way it doesn’t sound as good as what it should be. The double kick has also been another victim from the recording quality, it was only when the music stopped for a few seconds that I even noticed that they even exist. Also I believe that any EP or album is like a team and each track is like a team member. Like any good team, each team member should pull their own weight. Arabic Hardcore seems to be the outlier track in the EP. It just doesn’t seem to have the same feeling as the other tracks, it seems blended and the song itself is very poorly constructed. Although this is a very good EP I think that the recording quality has let them down quite a bit and it’s a shame that all this has gone to waste.

Shall Prevail seems to be a very ambitious band, creating some awesome tunes that constantly change, I think that the style they have now suits them very well. There are some pretty good tracks on this EP. There is a mixture of emotions in this EP, the track Bury The Memories is a more clam track has excellent riffs and is very well written and executed. It has an element of emotion, it seems to be a combination of happy and calm kind of feeling. This track sounds very mature and isn’t something I’d expect from a teen band. Also Bury The Memories seems to be highly influenced my Metalcore rather than hardcore. It is easy to too hear the Metalcore influences in some of their tracks. The track Can You Do The Crabman? Sounds extremely influenced by Metalcore. The breakdowns sound great and the riffs are not overly complex and suit the mood perfectly. Not to mention that the transitions are really good as well, this is great because it keeps the whole thing from falling apart and makes it interesting. Also there is a short little drum solo in that track as well. It might not be the fastest or longest in the world but it’s still very good. The track Nautical Nonsense is probably the best song out of the whole EP and is the Shall Prevail equivalent of Parkway Drive’s Boneyards. It has very good song structure. They breakdowns are perfectly executed and really highlight the track. The melody in Nautical Nonsense is really good as well. It has a nice pace and is just an amazing track. Also it has crammed all of the things great about Shall Prevail’s sound into a single track. Great riffs, combination of faster and slower tempos, breakdowns, emotion and when the acoustic guitar comes in it just puts the icing on the cake. It is just an amazing track, considering that this is such a young band.

The Tundra is an acoustic track, it’s fairly good it does spark some emotion and though into the listener. It starts off slow and builds up pace. It’s nothing really special but it is definitely worth listening to. The only downer is the track Arabic Hardcore, it doesn’t seem to suit their style and doesn’t fit in with the rest of the tracks. The music is very loose and even the recording is unbalanced. Also the transitions don’t really seem as smooth as they should be and there is quite a large pause half way through the track I have to admit it’s not the best thing on the EP. This EP does have a decent length of around 23 minutes.  

Overall Bury The Memories is one really good debut EP. It shows what might be next in Australian Metalcore and the number of quality of young bands that hope to spread the music that they love.  Shall Prevail has really shown their creativity and have already come up with their own sound. This is a very ambitious band that mixes hardcore with Metalcore. They have really made a good first impression with this EP and definitely gives the listener a good idea of what these guys are all about.   They have really good breakdowns, excellent song writing, emotion and great variety. Variety is very important in the success of a band because it targets a wider audience, although this may only target the hardcore/Metalcore audience, it has a combination of emotions and feeling which is another form of variety. For people who want slower and more calmer song try the track Bury The Memories, it is very well written and is filled with emotions and feeling. For people who want a faster song listen to Icebreaker. It’s is of fairly decent speed and the melodies are great. Also is has a really good breakdown in that song as well. The real highlight in that song is the epic guitar solo in it which makes the whole track seem even better. You can try Arabic Hardcore if you with but it’s not the best song in the world. If you like breakdowns and want a little bit of heaviness, you can’t go wrong with Nautical Nonsense. It is really the standout track of the whole EP and is a very well executed track.

Overall this is definitely something to take a look at. Shall Prevail isn’t some crappy underground band to be overlooked. This is the real deal and these guys can stand tall alongside some of the uprising bands hailing from the land down under. This is a very difficult to score this because there are many different factors. For execution and song writing I’ll give it a 18/20, for replay value and variety it definitely gets a 19/20 but as for recoding quality I give it a 10/20. It’s the recording quality that really lets this down the most. It’s a shame that the potential for a really good EP can be ruined just because of poor recording. But I guess everyone has to start somewhere and I definitely want to hear what these guys have next. This EP really does remind me Parkway Drive’s debut EP and I hope these guys get just as good as them. Overall I give Bury The Memories a 16/20.