The south coast of England has recently become renowned for its huge metalcore scene, with thousands of bands aiming to secure a record deal. Hardworking four-piece Prolong The Agony are one of the lucky bands to achieve this, recently signing to In At The Deep End Records. All We Are is their latest offering, and it is safe to say that it will definitely blow you out of the water.

Opening track ‘Dead Dreams’ sets the tone of the EP perfectly: its brutal riffs and technical guitar solos are enough to win metal fans across the spectrum over. Lead singer Larry Welling’s vocals are as heavy as always, but he has definitely stepped up his game for the new release. Just by listening to the first song it’s easy to hear exactly how much effort has gone into All We Are, and it has definitely paid off.

Although many of the songs on this EP feature ‘angry’ lyrics and brutal breakdowns, it has definitely been created in a more mature and skilful way; it’s hard to imagine hardcore dancing or people beating each other up in pits at a Prolong The Agony show. The lyrical content is actually very skilfully written and merges flawlessly with the melodic guitar riffs.

One of the stand-out tracks on All We Are is ‘Backstabbers’. It is anything other than a generic metalcore song, in fact it sounds much more like progressive hardcore. Larry’s powerful vocals contrast seamlessly with the ever-changing pace of the song, proving his versatility.

The raw energy and passion of Prolong The Agony is present in every single song on All We Are, making every song enjoyable to listen to. There are no boring or generic songs, meaning that you can listen to the entire EP without needing to skip a song. Unlike many bands in the metal scene at the moment Prolong The Agony do not need to use any gimmicks or frills, their music speaks for itself.

9.0/10

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JULIA CONOPO