It’s been a couple of weeks, but we are finally back with some more awesome EPs to sink our teeth into. Let’s dive right in!
Dominant Chain: Wasteland Requiem
The debut EP from the Finnish prog-symphonic metal band is honestly fucking awesome! It’s a lost more synth-heavy than I was expecting from their description, but it replaces the strings pretty perfectly and makes for a unique, interesting listen! It reminds me a little of what Metalite have been doing recently, which is certainly not a bad thing! This is four songs and an into that flow so well, and create a fantastic first impression of the band. The guitaring is a real highlight throughout; from the riffing to the soloing it’s all so good. Tracks like ‘Tears of the Tyrant’ and ‘Dirt’ may be personal favourites, but the whole release is pretty fantastic. If I had to make one slight complaint, the mixing could have been a little better. There’s nothing inherently wrong with it, but I think if everything generally sounded more cohesive and bigger, it could have been even more incredible. Still, a debut release is going to have some minor growing pains, and it doesn’t take away from how awesome this release is much at all. The band are going to go far, and I’m already curious to hear where they go from here. For now though, this gets a very easy 8/10 from us!
Unpunished: Echos of History
The Canadian metalcore quintet put out their sophomore EP today, and it’s a bit of a banger! It’s clear they wear their influences on their sleeves; I can definitely hear the Bleed from Within and early Parkway. However, I also hear a fair bit of melodeath in, definitely giving In Flames vibes too! From the opener to the Lamb of God-esque ‘Shattered in Disarray’ to the brutal closer featuring the awesome Alex Leblanc, it’s all amazing! There really isn’t a bad track on here, and it flows perfectly, as well as going by in a flash. If you are at all into the heavier side of metal, I cannot recommend this enough. I’m gonna have to go back and check out their debut release because if it’s anything like this it’d surely be amazing too! The band have a big new fan in me, and it’s insane that they aren’t already bigger already. Hopefully this release will push them to the heights they deserve! A very easy 9/10
Graham Barham: Whiskey Rain
Firstly, and I’ve said this a lot but not so much recently, eight tracks is a long-ass EP. I know country almost always have shorter track lengths than metal, and yes this thing is only 21-minutes in length, but I’ve seen less tracks on albums. The line between the two release formats could not be less blurred these days.
As for the music itself, it’s good! It’s very modern country, ever so slightly more edgy pop-country, but it’s a solid listen. The title track features Tyler Hubbard in one of the most fitting collabs I’ve ever heard. ‘BREAK OUT THE BOTTLE’ and ‘CAMO’ are also good tracks. It’s all pretty generic country stuff, very loosely ‘rock’ and definitely inspired by FGL and that ilk in a big way. If you’re into that sort of style, this is definitely worth checking out, but it’s certainly an acquired taste these days. While it’s not something I’d go to very often, it was fine and certainly an easy listen, even at its length! However, I don’t think I could have done much more of this, especially if it was going to be more of the same as the eight tracks here were. Graham is clearly a talented vocalist and has found a great fanbase that will love this. For me, it’s fine, and gets a pretty solid 7/10
Orchard Symmetry: Self-Titled
The English heavy alt-rockers’ sophomore EP is yet another blinding short-form release this week. Drawing on everyone from QOTSA to Muse to Green Day to even a fair bit of metal, they are a pretty unique sound, very much doing their own thing. That very much feels to be the British underground scene currently, with bands like Tealdear and Confyde also pushing the boundaries in a great way! Tracks like the incredibly Muse-y ‘Feeding the Wolves’, the punky ‘Lies That they Tell You’ and the heavy closer are all big highlights, but the other two songs are also great, too! The band are clearly talented players and songwriters; that much shines bright throughout. Another act I am shocked I haven’t heard of before but have come out of this a big fan! It’s not going to be for everyone, but if you are at all curious, check this out! 8.5/10