Of Whispers - Conquest

Of Whispers - Conquest

Of Whispers released their debut EP release early 2011. With the success of their self titled debut demo released in 2010, these guys were speculating on how they could they could follow up such an excellent demo. Well… they found a way, and I don’t think they could have done it any better. These guys bring a whole new level of beauty and emotion to the relatively untouched genre melodic hardcore, while mixing in elements of metalcore and deathcore to create this masterpiece. 

I believe the key element of their music is definitely the beauty the music contains. Now, not many people have heard of melodic hardcore because what people usually associate it with is metalcore or post-hardcore. Of Whispers is a tough one to place in either of those genres mainly because they don’t belong to them. They are melodic hardcore, the song structure is of hardcore style, the riffs and drumming styles seems to be related to hardcore more than post hardcore or metalcore and they have hardcore style breakdowns. Although in this case, it is acceptable to place them in post-hardcore or metalcore because the fans of either genre are bound to like this. Now, I honestly believe that this could be the most beautiful “core” EP that I have ever heard and I’m not exaggerating this at all. This is mainly due to the combination of instruments used (obviously), they have involved more than just your generic guitars, bass and drums, there are also violins, pianos (not keyboards) and electronic elements as well. It’s a little hard to say in words or stress how big of an impact the beauty has made, it is essentially what makes the music so appealing.

How have they supported this element of beauty in their music… with emotion of course! There is definitely a presence of emotion here and that is beyond reasonable doubt. Although it’s not as strong as the beautiful side of things, it has made its presence apparent. Now the thing that I admire the most about this band is that they have not tried to make emotion the headline factor in their music. I mean sure at times they might have little snippets here and there but it doesn’t take up anymore than 20% of the music. Also I think that they have used the correct style of emotion not only for the pace of the music but also because it does a great job of supporting the real headline element which is their beauty. This is another thing that suggests that this band has more hardcore influences than metalcore or post-hardcore because modern hardcore bands typically don’t utilize clean vocals or heavy emotion. Also, they don’t just talk about women and how emotional and heart breaking their life is in their music. The lyrics go even deeper than that, it’s almost poetic.

Now that all the lovey dovey stuff is out of the way, let’s get to the real business… the metal business. This EP is more than just emotional and beautiful, it packs quite a fulfilling energetic punch. Yep that’s right, it ranks higher on the intensity scale than what people may believe. The music definitely has the intensity and oomph that you would normally expect from a metalcore band. Yeah, they have breakdowns and reasonably a fast pace to their music, everything a “core” fan would ever dream of… isn’t it? Now the amazing thing is how they have managed to incorporate both beauty and emotional elements in with the relatively harder stuff. This just adds even more contrast to the music and makes it even more replayable.

Musically these guys are pretty skilful, and I think that many people would find that a little odd coming from a young “core” band because usually skill comes with experience and these guys have little and are only a young band. Surprisingly, the music is quite complex, which is rare to come from a band whose music rather soft and delicate. Don’t get me wrong though, these guys are still far being mathcore, in fact these guys are everything but mathcore so don’t worry about that.

The vocals and guitars are in my opinion the key factors in this bands music, largely because they are the two components of their music that contributes largely to the beauty element. Of Whispers utilizes three types of vocals, the first one to mention are the growls. They are really quite deep and extremely raspy and abrasive. It sounds like someone has just got your ordinary fry screams and growled them. The best and intriguing thing about this style is that it still sounds very relaxed as well. It’s not gutturally so It doesn’t sound like he is yelling at you, this in turn keeps the music sounding beautiful and ambient.  Obviously, the next style I’m going to mention are the ordinary fry screams. There are two particular styles that they use. The first one sounds like a toned down version of The Amity Affliction’s vocals and the other one sounds more like the childish shrieks made by Chelsea Grin. The last one is the yelling which is also the most common of all of them. They sound almost exactly like the most recent of Bring Me The Horizon’s vocals, it’s the type where it sounds like someone is just trying to scream their lungs out without any tone or distortion. It’s actually quite affective in creating emotion in the music.

The guitars also play a major role in creating the atmosphere in the music as well, the high pitch tremolo picking being the main culprit in creating atmosphere most of the time. But the actual tuning and chords that are played would have to be equally responsible. The guitars are very versatile instruments and can be played in a variety of ways. Of Whispers have taken full advantage of this and decided to push things to the limit. At times, the guitars sound very heavy and distorted and they are played in such a way that it almost sounds like deathcore. On the contrary, there are times where they play just like an ordinary post-hardcore or punk rock band. This is definitely noticeable and is just another thing that stops the music from sounding repetitive.

Now to the drumming, the drumming is often considered as one of the major factors in a bands music because it determines the pace and energy of any particular track. Well… the drummer has done and awesome job at this. The drummer controls the pace really well and he comes out at the right times. I noticed that in the high energy sections of songs, he likes to makes himself conspicuous but during slower more emotional parts, he seems to make himself scarce. This is great because it doesn’t seem like he is overpowering or trying to take over the music. Also, the drummer plays more like a hardcore drummer. He utilizes the top hats a lot more and the beats are fairly unorganized and loose, which is a common trait amongst the hardcore genre.

There are a decent amount of tracks on this EP, in which they have randomly pulled out within one year. Even though the follow up was relatively quick, it didn’t substitute for quality at all and that’s the most important thing as far as I’m concerned. The opening track is a musical called Genesis, I’m guessing it’s just there to set the scene and the emotion for the rest of the EP. There are some pianos and violins being played but it’s not very interesting and doesn’t have much replay value to it. After the short and relatively boring intro, there are some many great tracks. The first actual song is Bridge To The Sun and it’s the track that provides the first and lasting impression for the rest of the EP. It is definitely a beautiful track, it is wonderfully constructed to be quite fast and filling as well as beautiful. It’s definitely one of the best tracks on the EP. The next track is For Gold And Glory, this is probably my favourite track on the whole EP. It’s well written and is extremely uplifting but also has a really emotional part in the song which actually provides emotion (unlike other poser bands). This has to be the best track on the EP and it’s definitely one of the most memorable. The last track to mention is the remastering of the track Conquest, it has undergone some slight changes since we have last seen it at the demo stage. To be perfectly honest, I liked the demo version better. Partly because I think that the demo version was a lot tighter and everything down to the last beat was just perfect. The new version seems to have a few glitches and the most noticeable one would have to be that the vocals seemed a little “out of place”. Unlike the 2010 version which was almost perfect.

Overall, this is one hell of a way to follow up such a great demo. I honestly thought it wasn’t possible for them to match their demo. But… I have to admit, I did enjoy their demo a little more than this EP but that is probably because the demo was shorter and seemed like 10 minutes of pure gold. But this EP is longer and better in the sense that it is recorded in higher quality and the music is even more beautiful. So in those respects, it was better. I recommend this EP to any “core” fans out there because one the best thing about this band is that they would most likely appeal to a wide audience. Everyone from hardcore to deathcore fans will most likely enjoy this. I would also like to recommend the track For Gold And Glory because it encompasses everything that is great about this band and throws it into a single track.  I honestly think that this will be one of the most memorable EPs of 2011 and I am certain that Of Whispers will strike it big in the near future and if this EP doesn’t do it for them, it’s definitely going to be their debut album. Overall, this is an incredible EP and I give Of Whispers’s Conquest a 17/20.

The Amity Affliction - Youngbloods

The Amity Affliction - Youngbloods

 

Youngbloods is The Amity Affliction’s latest Album. This album was released in June 2010 by Boomtown Records and is of the Post-Hardcore genre. The Amity Affliction is another gem that has come out of Australia but has not made it into the mainstream scene across the world. Although they are not well known across the world, they are almost a household name in Australia. I think that it is time for Post-Hardcore lovers to discover this band. Youngbloods is their latest and greatest album. This album features what all good Post-Hardcore bands should have; a decent melody, breakdowns, decent clean vocals and most importantly a good dirty vocalist.

While Metalcore giants Parkway Dive and I Killed The Prom Queen have made it to the world stage, there has been quality Post-hardcore bands that haven’t quiet made it there yet. I think that this album is going to be the thing that makes The Amity Affliction renowned across the world as one of the best Post-Hardcore bands. This Album has emotion, awesome vocals and it sounds great musically. The Recording quality of this album is very clear as well. Both dirty and clean vocals are very crisp and sound amazing. The screamo artist has a scream that is very distorted and high pitched which is very suitable for the type of music. The clean vocalist is also very good, he sings almost perfectly. I cannot recall any parts where either vocalists have screwed their voice up or where their voice has failed on them.

This album has its emotional side to it as well. Almost every song on this track has some kind of emotional element to it. The most emotional in this album would have to be the songs RIP Foghorn or H.M.A.S Lookback. The melody is also very good as well and is gold standard as far as Post-Hardcore is concerned. There a few stand out tracks on this album. The best out of all of them would have to be Youngbloods, Anchors and I Hate Hartley.

This album is very good but there are a few things that can improve it. Firstly there are not that many breakdowns at all during the course of this album. The only good one would have to be the one at the start of the song I Hate Hartley. Also there are parts where the clean vocalist sings, sure his vocals are really good. Except that musically they drop all melody and sound. This is very noticeable in most of their songs. Also I think that his vocals sound way too computer generated (theory). It doesn’t really matter to me about how the vocals are generated but I may affect some listeners. Also the dirty vocalist uses the same type of screamo throughout the album. This is very common with most Screamo/Post-Harcore artists though.

 Also muscically they are good but they aren’t amazing. They focus more on emotion and simple melodies rather than over the top music. This can be good and bad. I think that this can be good because it eliminates the possibility of over complicating the music. Sometimes the same simple music can get a little boring. These are all just minor problems with this album and should not make this album disappointing.

Overall I think that this album is one of the finest Post-Hardcore/Screamo albums around. I think it is a shame that they are fairly underground. My theory is that when more people hear this album. Their popularity will sky-rocket. I recommend the songs Youngbloods, Anchors and I Hate Hartley. I strongly recommend  this album to anyone who likes Post-Hardcore, Screamo and Metalcore. This overall is an amazing album and I give it a 18/20.

In Fear And Faith - Voyage

In Fear And Faith - Voyage

Voyage is In Fear And Faith’s first EP and is of the Post-Hardcore genre. This EP was self-released and was released in December 2007. This is a very good debut EP and gives you a good feel of what this band is like which is what really an EP is suppose to do.

This EP is not bad, not bad at all. Some of the tracks are very emotional such as the song Taste Of regret. There are also a few tracks that are full of energy such as the songs There be Pirates Among These Seas and Live Love Die. I do like the tunes on some of the tracks on this EP! I also think that this has everything that anyone would expect from a good Post-Hardcore band. There are parts full of energy and then there are slow emotional parts such as in the song Live Love Die. Also there are frequent changes between clean and screamed vocals (which aren’t bad). This EP also has a decent length of 7 tracks which is not so bad for an EP. Also I am glad that they Improved the song Live Heart Die and changed the name to Live Love Die.

This album is not that bad but it is not perfect. Firstly, there is a repetition of the same kind of beats played over a few songs which drastically changes this EP from being good to being average. It is mainly the drums and the guitars which I think are very repetitive and these are probably the main instruments used in Metal Music so they need to be constantly changed (In my opinion). I think it is ok to hear the same tune from the same song but not the same tune from a whole bunch of songs in one album/EP/Demo. So what I am getting to here is that I think they should be more variety in this EP. Also I think that some of tracks in this EP in general should be more energetic and not so boring. They do not achieve the same energy rating such as the bands Jamie’s Elsewhere and The Amity Affliction.

Overall I think that this EP had more potential to be better but it is not so bad considering that it is their first EP. This EP is full of emotion and high in energy in most parts but can be boring in some parts. Also the repetition of the same sound annoys me. I recommend this EP to all the hardcore Post-Hardcore fans out there. I also recommend the song Live Love Die, this song will give you a lasting impression of what this EP is like. I give this EP a 16/20.

Jamies Elsewhere - Seasons

Jamies Elsewhere - Seasons

Seasons is Jamie’s Elsewhere’s second Album. Seasons is a Post-Hardcore Album and was released in 2010 by Victory Records. This is probably one of my favourite Post-Hardcore albums of all time. I think that Jamie’s Elsewhere is heavily underrated and there should be more fans for this amazing band.

Seasons Is Jamie’s Elsewhere’s second album. This is probably as close as you could get to a perfect Post-Hardcore album. This album is so high up the WOW factor that I cannot even describe it. So I will just tell you what is good on this album. Firstly, the screamo and clean vocals are almost perfect (I don’t care if it is fake or not, it sounds good that’s all I care about.).  The actual tune that you listen to gets stuck in your head  in a good way and presents some good sing along value (if your into that stuff). Also there is also some techno music to back it up which makes this album sounds even more amazing. There are probably some of the best Post-Hardcore songs I have ever heard such as the songs Visions in Sleep and the song Seasons, these are the two songs I would recommend for new time listeners.

I have trouble finding anything wrong with this album. It can almost be described as a “perfect” album. There is only one problem, and that is the song The Prodigal. I think that it was suppose to have some kind of emotional feeling behind it but it seriously failed at that.

Overall this album is one of the best Post-Hardcore albums around and I think that this band is so underrated that it is a disgrace to not see it have at least 3 or more stars. I recommend this album to all the Post-Hardcore fans out there and some Metalcore fans as well. I give this album a 18/20, nice!

The Subtle Way - Against Our Own Retreat

The Subtle Way - Against Our Own Retreat

Against Our Own Retreat is The Subtle Way’s debut album and it is of the Post-Hardcore genre. This album was released in April 2007. This album is the best Post-Hardcore I have ever heard out of all of them. This album is just amazing and I think it would be awesome if more people would hear this because this is pure gold.

I cannot stress how great this album is. When I first heard this album it blew me away. There is so much awesomeness in this album it is astounding. This album is jam packed with Breakdowns, Emotion, great solos, great vocals and musically it is amazing. It has my favourite post-hardcore song on it and that is the song Collisions With Frictions. The vocals musically they are flawless and sound awesome. This album has three moods as well and they are clearly defined unlike some other albums. There are the fast and heavy tracks, slow and emotional tracks and the ones that are in between. An example of a fast and heavy track is The Perfect Lense, slow and emotional would be Collisions With Frictions and an in between one would be Knights Of Columbus. To add to an already great album they have put some great breakdowns in it.

They really achieve what they set out to do. They have successfully created emotion in the songs by not making it so fast, utilizing the correct vocals and melody. Also they have put slower quieter parts in an emotional song creating much more emotion. For faster songs they have achieved an energetic “atmosphere” by having fast tempos, utilizing more dirty vocals and breakdowns. The Subtle Way are successful in everything they try to achieve in terms of setting up emotional songs and energetic songs.

This album has so much variety it is great value and endlessly re-playable. If you were to compare this band to some of the Mainstream bands out there, this band would either be on the same level or a lot higher. The thing that would make this album so successful is that it would target a large audience and that is what many other bands don’t do, but this one fulfils that goal that so many other bands fail to do. That is what this makes this band so special.

I cannot find any negative things about this album, it is seemingly perfect. It has everything a Post-Hardcore fan would want.

Overall this is the best Post-Hardcore album I have ever heard. It has awesome vocals, great melody, heavy breakdowns, variety of emotions in its tracks and it can target a wide audience. That is what makes this band a great band. I recommend the song The Perfect Lense for people who like fast and heavy. I also recommend the songs Collisions With Frictions and Love Notes In The Infrared for people who like slower emotional songs. For people who like both I recommend the whole album. This album is the best album I have heard for Post-Hardcore and I give it a well deserved 20/20.

Dream On, Dreamer - Hope (EP)

Dream On, Dreamer - Hope (EP)

Hope is Dream On Dreamer’s debut release. This EP is of the Post-Hardcore genre and was released in 2010 by boomtown records. Although this band is listed as Post-Hardcore, some really people may also consider this Screamo or even Emo Metal. This is one of those Underground gems that should be in the mainstream. This is an incredible debut EP and it is a perfect mix of awesome riffs, breakdowns and vocals that fit the music live a glove. I can really see this band making it to the big time very shortly.

This EP is one of those underground gems that is only waiting to be found. This band is almost perfectly rounded in it music and they sound almost perfectly in sync. This EP has a perfect mix of breakdowns, awesome riffs, vocals are perfect for their sound and emotion. Yep, this has it all. Not only that, but everything is of a high standard. The vocals sound great, they don’t over use the same type of scream or growl. The style he uses is seemingly perfect for the music, he doesn’t do anything too out there with the vocals. He keeps it nice and simple and that definitely works with the music. Also he has great clean vocals as well, a vital part of creating emotion in the music. The level of emotion in this EP is fairly high. The best thing about their style of music is that they don’t have to get all softy to get emotional. There is emotion throughout the whole EP and they don’t have to slowdown to create it. To do this well is fairly rare to find and what also makes this band so unique. Despite all the emotion, they make some great melodies and very good breakdowns. Also the transitions are nice and smooth and they don’t make any sudden changes, but this does not mean that they are monotone. They always change their pace and keep this EP alive and not boring.

Also like many other Post-Hardcore and Screamo bands they also incorporate some electronic music in they sound. They don’t over use it like other bands tend to do but they are there, it just adds that little bit of atmosphere to their music. Also a noticeable thing that they do in their music is that they like to build up tension and then slam it, this sounds great because they down slam it down to the point where it interrupts the pace of the music but enough to make a noticeable change. Also the drums sound fairly crazy throughout many of the tracks and the drummer likes to use the Cymbals and the Top Hat a lot. He also is in sync with the rest of the band, that being said their music is very tight and can get technical at times.

There are some amazing Post-Hardcore tracks on this EP, they feature everything you want. Good melodies, breakdowns, balanced pace between slow and fast and emotion. There are some very emotional tracks on this EP. All f the tracks do contain some elements of emotion in it but the most emotional is the track In August. It is very soft and this is where the really get the emotions going. This is a very sad sounding track, it is also very well done. The vocals are perfect and the music is still fast but does not create any sense of energy.  Also the lead singer clean vocals are the best in this song. Also another weird thing about this track is that it ends with an incredibly heavy breakdown, but oddly it doesn’t really affect the mood of the track. There are some really heavy breakdowns in this EP and the best ones would probably be in the tracks In August, Chapter Desired Performance and Persist The Voice.  I believe all of the tracks are very good and there is nothing that really stands out because their all follow pattern typical, other than the track In August. That one is a little more emotional than the others. I have to say, that this is one if the tightest Post-Hardcore bands I have heard. They have some really tight tracks and great examples of this would have to be in the song Persist The Voice. It is very tight and is one of those tracks that slams from a relatively fast pace into a breakdown. The best example of slamming in this EP would have to be the track Planted Somewhere Hidden. The other stand out track would have to be Ambitions. It basically takes everything that is good about them and stuffs it into a single track.  

This is a very good release and there are very few minor little problems that may affect some listeners. I think that the main thing that may affect listeners the most is the running time of the EP. Yes this is an EP and yes it has 6 tracks and is ok for an EP, but the thing that matters is the actual running time. The total running is around 18.5 minutes, this is very short and wrecks the EP a little. 18 minutes is very short because just about when you are getting into the music it finishes and leaves you hanging wanting more. Sometimes this is a good thing but in this case they do it too abruptly and doesn’t really satisfy the listener. Although they have a really good sound, they can sound a little monotone. Now this many not be bad for people who like their style but the only problem with this is that it won’t really target a wide audience. This can be a bit weird because many bands who sound monotone have to think really hard about where they distribute their music. Also the last thing is that the music is very powerful but at times when the drummer does his double kick, it is faded and is drowned out by the rest of the music.  You really have to listen hard to hear it but it is there.

Overall this is a very good debut release and is the perfect thing to kick start their career. It may be a little hard for them because they can only distribute their music to such a small audience which may make it a little harder to get their bans out there. I am sure that they will find the right people and once they find them I expect their popularity to rise really quickly. There is no doubt this is a gem just waiting to be discovered. This is a perfect mix of emotion, great melodies, breakdowns and the vocals tie it up in a nice little package. This wouldn’t usually target a very wide audience but I will recommend this EP to any Post-hardcore, Screamo, Emo and Metalcore fans out there. For the hardcore Metalcore fans tread lightly because it may not suit you. There are a few great tracks on this EP. If you want emotion I recommend In August, If you prefer tracks that are a little faster and heavier I recommend Persist The Voice and Blackened Sky. If you want everything stuffed into 1 track listen to Ambitions. Overall this a pretty good release and I give Hope EP an 18/20.  

The Bright Star Alliance - Oceania

The Bright Star Alliance - Oceania

Oceania is The Bright Star Alliance’s debut EP and it was released in 2007. This band is of the Screamo/Post-Hardcore genre and they are currently unsigned. This is their debut EP and this is a really good debut to make. Its bands like this that should be putting Australia on the map when it comes to the “Core” genres.

The Bright Star Alliance is a relatively unknown band from Melbourne Australia. Many new bands seem to be emerging from that particular area and The Bright Star Alliance has lead the pack. This debut EP will definitely give you a good idea of what their style is.  This debut EP features your standard issue emo style screams, clean vocals, breakdowns and melodic riffs. Yep it has everything you can expect from your average screamo band. Musically they sound like your ordinary screamo/post-hardcore bands. The guitars have that high pitched drone sounding distortion and the lead stands out and the rhythm get turned down a little. They play fair simple riffs, nothing too advance or complex. Also the drumming is fairly simple and no very fast. Although this is the case, they do sound very tight and in sync. Also they seem to have a Punk music feeling behind the music itself rather than a metal feeling if you take away the vocals on some tracks.

They have decided to play it safe with this first release and focus more on melody and emotion. Which I think are 2 very vital elements of screamo, screamo is made up of 2 words scream and emo. They have definitely succeeded with the emotional side of things. With relatively slow melodic riffs and clean vocals they do create some kind of atmosphere. They also have a different way of expressing their different moods and in turn creates different emotions throughout the EP, it doesn’t necessarily have to be sad emotions, they can range from upbeat through to angry emotions. The song structure that they use depends on the song and atmosphere they are trying to create some have just your ordinary hardcore structure and some combine hardcore and deathcore musically and structure. They make excellent use of Breakdowns in some tracks and they mix perfectly with the vocals. Their screams are very high pitched metalcore/ emo yells. The screaming vocalist sounds like he is completely emptying his lungs when he screams. For those who don’t know, an emo scream sounds like a guttural growl but instead of growling it’s a scream. They clean vocals aren’t half bad either, they are not over the top soul singing vocals but they do fit in with the melodic parts.  The drumming is very simple, simple beats and a nice steady double kick drumming.

Not all of the tracks try to be overly aggressive, but there are some. In these types of songs, you get the full feel of what this band is like. Intense deathcore style breakdowns, emo screams but they still keep their decent melodies which is a plus. Musically they are also fairly tight as well, they are all fairly well in sync but as I said they play it safe and keep it simple. They like to change moods between soft, medium and hard throughout the whole EP which keeps it nice and even also interesting. Also like many screamo/post-hardcore bands out there they like to use some special effects, not as much as Sky Eats Aeroplane or anything they mainly use them at the start of tracks. This also keeps the post-hardcore feel to it. They make a few transitions will have totally different moods. The choruses are always upbeat and the rest of the songs are usually neutral or downbeat.  

This EP is fairly well rounded and has a near perfect balance of adrenaline pumping and mid pace tracks. Certain tracks have one or the other and some have both. The opening track Human.BodyAnchor is one of the medium paced tracks. It has nice simple drumming and simple riffs. Also this track has an uplifting feeling to it and it is a fairly nice and calm track to start off with. The Next track The Bluest Danube is probably the slowest and most simple track on the whole EP and features or piano playing. Although those are nice and calm songs that lean more to Post-Hardcore and Punk, there are some that are some that lean towards the deathcore side. Once you hit that track Staring Into Reflections Return Nothing, this is where it starts to get real. The opening Breakdown is really good and the rest of the track stays at a nice steady pace. Also the melodies are fairly good in this track aswell and suit very well with the clean vocals. Melodies are another thing really keep their music alive, the track Swimming With the Serpent has some of the best melodies and is their signature song from them so far. It has a nice and upbeat feeling to it and is fairly relaxing. The last track in the EP is called I Am Destruction and it is the song that throws everything in a box and ties it into a nice little package. They change from upbeat to downbeat emotions and sounds combines Deathcore and Post-Hardcore the most. Also drumming in this track is a lot more quicker and the music is tighter. Not to mention they use growls also more as well.

Although this is one really good EP, there are a few things that keep it from being perfect. The first thing is that they might have played it too safe with their music. There are many times where the music sounds monotone and uninteresting. The drumming doesn’t do anything to help it as well, in fact is makes it sound even more boring than it already is. The drummer seems to be a little slow at the double bass as well, there are times that he tries to be fast but hasn’t worked but he can keep a good baseline.  Also there are some elements that don’t really mix together as well which makes it feel unbalanced. One example of this is that at times some of the members play some simple slow calm musicals while the vocalist is still screaming his lungs out. This makes it feel tangled and a little annoying.

 Also the clean vocalist’s single is very bland and unenthusiastic. Also his voice is drowned out at times and sounds a little monotone. Also the screamed vocals are a little annoying as well when he also sings in monotone and he rarely changes his tone. Also they and utilize the growls as well as they should have done which could have made the Ep as a whole a lot more interesting that the same boring vocals. Also the music starts and stops a lot on disrupts the flow of the music, also when people pause it is usually a signal that they are going to transition into another riff, chorus or a breakdown perhaps,  but they don’t even do that at times. They just continue like nothing has happened. Also they are not subtle either and they last for a while.  All of these have a major affect on how this EP flows and the feel you get from it. They have brought nothing really new to the table of post-hardcore/screamo and they don’t seem to be as ambitious as some other new bands out there. This really does affect them if they want to keep making music that people will still want to listen to 10 years from now. They do experiment, no doubt but they need to get their priorities set out first and I guess an EP is a great way to test them out. It is these problems though that lets this EP down the most unfortunately and they really do have a major affect.

Overall this is not a bad debut EP. This band is from Melbourne Australia and many bands of the same style are coming out from their so they have to work especially hard of they want to get noticed. Although their motives for their music are unclear, they do mix deathcore, post-hardcore and punk elements fairly well together. They are very tight and they work well together, they may sound very unskilled and boring at times but improvement comes with experience. There are a few things that many disappoint the audience at times such as; the vocals and the structure some of the songs together but this is still very good post-hardcore and definitely worth a look. There are quite a few moods to this Ep to keep it entertaining. For people who like Breakdowns and heaviness I recommend the track Staring Into Reflections Return Nothing. The track with the best melodies would have to be the track Swimming With the Serpent and for people who like speed and melody I recommend the track I Am Destruction. I Am Destruction is probably the standout track in the whole EP because it brings all of the elements together into one track. I recommend this EP to anyone who likes deathcore, metalcore and post-hardcore/screamo. Overall I think this is still a pretty good EP and worth a look, I give it a 15/20.