Imperial Tide is a hardcore group out of Las Vegas/LA. Their debut EP, Existence in Crisis, (Mascot Label Group) consists of six heavy and angry tracks – songs that barely make the three-minute mark. Doesn’t sound like anything new does it?
But Imperial Tide is here to twist your perception on what hardcore can be. The EP surprisingly starts off with cool industrial tones before starting a standard hardcore beatdown. The vocals are a nice change of pace as well. They are a little higher than your standard hardcore, but nice raw and pissed the fuck off. The chorus vocals here are strong on “King of the Gutter,” and demand a shout-along. Seriously, I can just listen to this track on repeat.
“Off the Leash” is a standard hardcore pit beatdown but musically takes a few turns to keep things interesting. The musical experimentations are what really keep your attention. On “Slip,” the band again incorporates some industrial tones for a nice haunting effect.
In true hardcore fashion, the six tracks included here are gone before they take time to register in your brain. You are going to need to listen to this one a few times and let it simmer. Gotta give it time for all of those musical twists and turns to marinate before you can fully appreciate the stew.
The EP is a nice slap to the face that would pair well with your morning coffee. Get ready. Get set. Get brutal!
Buy the EP here:
8 / 10
ANDREW RISCH