A local band for us to review this time! The amazing Phoenix Lake dropped their debut EP today. We here at Overtone are pretty exited as we are big fans of the hard rock/alt metal band. Heck, just looking at our YouTube will show you that. Without any further ado, let’s dive straight in!
Opening on their most recent single from the back end of last year, ‘Saviour’ sets the tone perfectly. A vocal build-up leads to a MASSIVE riff, almost giving off power metal vibes. Or even that current power/core hybrid that Parkway Drive have put out their last couple of albums. Lana’s voice soon comes in over the top, fitting the sound perfectly. The transitions between verses and choruses are seamless, it all being catchy and fun. The chuggy, heavy bridge is very Alter Bridge with the vocal run to start it off, and leads to a fantastic stripped back orchestral bit in the middle. It builds to an awesome final chorus and outro, rounding out a great opening track. It didn’t do anything too out-of-the-ordinary, but is a damn catchy, fun and radio-friendly banger!
The first of two new tracks, ‘Reflections’, is up next. It opens on a heavier, more attitude-filled riff. I love it. The more power metal sound returns with the verse and Lana’s amazing vocals. The guitars behind them do still give off Alter Bridge vibes, though. The vocal melody in the pre and chorus is infectiously catchy. The whole track builds perfectly, be it into the huge, open choruses or through the slower, dropped down Egyptian part into the MASSIVE bridge and solo parts. My only (very) slight complaint is that the solo isn’t quite long enough for my liking. Having said that, the lead parts between lines in the final chorus were incredible, adding an even greater layer and epicness to it all. What a song! playlisted!
We’re already pretty familar with ‘Come Alive’ here at Overtone, as you can tell if you’d have clicked the link to our YouTube channel earlier in the article. It’s a fantastic track and fits so well with the rest of the EP in terms of style and feel. It’s still my favourite chorus the band have done, it’s so well written in terms of lyrics and melody. And the thrashy bridge behind the ripping guitar solo is all amazing. I cannot praise this song enough, so to save myself from repeating it again and again, I’mma leave it here. Check this out, it’s fantastic!
The closer of this nowhere-near-long-enough release is another new one, ‘Faithless’. It’s a slower start, a beautiful acoustic guitar and vocal combination. It doesn’t last too long before we get another great riff, the rest of the band building in perfectly. I still can’t get the Parkway Drive/Sabaton combination out of my head, its the easiest way for me to describe the sound. Of course there is some Amy Lee/Taylor Momsen in there too, vocally!
There is plenty to love here, from catchy vocal melodies to awesome riffs throughout. However, part of me slightly wishes the band would have stayed with the slightly slower feel they opened on. Each of the four tracks have a very similar feel, and I think having an almost ballad on a 20-minute EP would have not only broken things up well, but been suitably ballsy. It also would have sounded amazing, if the snippets we get in the track are anything to go by. Still, if that had happened, we probably wouldn’t have gotten that incredible bridge riff, which is maybe my favourite part of the whole album. A great track and way to close the EP!
Overall: This was awesome! It’s a fantastic showcase of what the band is about and the perfect diving in point for any prospective new fans. A collection of four awesome hard rock/alt metal tracks that are sure to push Phoenix Lake to new heights. I’d recommend this to anyone at all, no matter what your taste in music, you’ll find something to enjoy here!
The Score: 8.5/10