Normally August Burns Red EPs are, believe it or not, a bunch of Xmas songs given a metal makeover. However, this time to bridge the gap between recent album, The Phantom Anthem, and the next record, they have decided to release The Phantom Sessions (both Fearless Records) which features an eclectic mix of new songs, covers and rearrangements of songs from the 2017 album.Continue reading
Two years after their self-released debut album The Insatiable Weakness, Melodic Death Metallers Fall have some more Scandi-inspired music for you; an EP with the equally poetic title The Dreamer of Tragedy. This four track offering sees the Texan four-piece broaden their sound – more synth, melody and melancholy to go with the ferocious Melodeath of their debut.Continue reading
I’m an absolute sucker for any art form which tries to tell a story and has some form of concept to it. I just love to have my nerd string pulled on I find I get way more invested in something if the artist(s) has gone that extra mile in creating something. In line with this come The Uncharted with debut EP Perspectives (self-released) where the story behind this release is that the technicality and progressiveness of the music is paired with an unknown narrator looking for the meaning of life through various ideas and philosophies he encounters.Continue reading
After forming in 2014, London-based sextet She Must Burn release their self-titled début EP (Ghost Music). Describing themselves as “entwining crushing brutality and beautiful melody”, it is hard not to be intrigued.
The fusion of screaming vocals and clean vocals is used in most heavy genres nowadays, so in some ways it has lost its original appeal. However, there is definitely something different about She Must Burn: it is obvious from the first full-length track ‘Possessed’ that this is not just another gimmick, but that Joseph Louis Sinclair and Aimy Miller’s vocals contrast perfectly. The innocent-sounding clean vocals fuse together incredibly well with the brutal screaming vocals, creating a dramatic metal sound.
One of the most impressive songs on the EP is ‘Into Light’. The song has a much softer vibe to it than the previous tracks, and it opens with a beautiful piano melody. Aimy’s vocals are almost enchanting, and it is easy to see exactly why She Must Burn have gained so many fans in just a short space of time.
Throughout the EP there are obvious influences from heavy metal, rock, metalcore and even symphonic metal. Each one of the six songs sounds unique, whilst still being able to create a definitive sound for She Must Burn.
8.0/10
JULIA CONOPO
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To celebrate 20 years of nastiness, Belgian death metallers Aborted have released a five track EP. Termination Redux (Century Media) features three new songs and a re-recording of the band’s 2001 song ‘The Holocaust Incarnate’ from the band’s Engineering The Dead (Listenable Records) record.
Grinding death metal has always been Aborted’s speciality, and this is a short, sharp, shock of crushingly relentless filth. Technical chainsaw riffs, machine gun drumming and larynx-bleeding vocals fill every track. There’s no signs of slowing down or – god forbid – mellowing out, and the three new tracks promise to make the band’s upcoming album a potential highlight of 2016.
For completest, the rerecording of ‘The Holocaust Incarnate’ retains its original buzzsaw qualities, but is given an added crispness to its sound. The band haven’t changed a whole lot over the years, and the fact that a song over a decade old reinforces the idea that the band have always been about refining, rather than radically changing their sound.
In fifteen minutes, Termination Redux demonstrates pretty perfectly what Aborted are all about; brutal, uncompromising death metal. Happy Anniversary.
8.0/10
DAN SWINHOE
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You can find out a lot about a band simply from their name. Take Hiraeth for example: Hiraeth is a Welsh word which has no direct English translation. The University of Wales has described it as ‘homesickness tinged with grief or sadness over the departed’, as well as a mixture of ‘longing, yearning and nostalgia’. With such a unique and interesting band name, it is clear from the beginning that there is something different about them. Their debut EP The World Ends With You is self-released, and they have recently finished their first UK tour with Black Polaris and wars.
Opening track ‘Words To Echo’ opens with a simplistic and distorted guitar riff, proving their melodic hardcore roots instantly. Lead vocalist Charlie Clayton demands your attention from the get go, using his harsh vocals to enhance the emotion-filled lyrics. ‘Barely Breathing’ kicks up the pace, proving that Hiraeth are not just a one trick pony. The song features William Alex Young from Clockwork, and their different vocal styles fuse together perfectly.
There is something almost reminiscent about Hiraeth: they are able to use all of the previously successful melodic hardcore techniques to a high standard. The World Ends With You is an easy EP to listen to, and if you like melodic hardcore then there is no reason why you would not enjoy this band. For a first EP it is impressive, however, it would be great to hear how their sound develops in time and find out what will make them stand out from the thousands of other bands on the UK underground scene at the moment.
7.0/10
JULIA CONOPO