Review: Parallax “On Dead Tracks” 7”

Hell yeah. This 7" contains my favorite two tracks from the band's most recent demo, which totally obliterates all of their past work. Expect technical and melodic metalcore of the highest caliber. The quality of the writing and musicianship is frantic and somewhat chaotic with lots of discordance and note-based runs, but everything is far more cohesive than 99% of the genre's work, making for some stellar material that really is enjoyable. The only band out there that's currently active right now that I'd say you could parallel this to would be Misery Signals. "The Romance" has some slick clean breaks with awesome basslines, tons of changes with bursts of intense melody, and a few solid chugga breaks; while "Criticize Without Constructing" has more creative riffing involved, emphasizing how impressive the rhythm section is. Some of the runs are a little more typical as well, but the more streamlined nature of the composition allows that to balance things out. Both tracks are chock full of killer screaming vocals and great tempo changes as well. The recording is fine. It's nice and crisp, the bass really has a role, the drums have a good snap, the dual guitar layering is pretty clear, and the vocals sound perfect. It could be smoother, but once they get there? Look the fuck out! The record comes packaged against a double-sided xeroxed card with minimal artwork and the lyrics. It's a little hard to read and looks plain, but those are only minor setbacks. Lyrically the material is pretty sincere as well, dealing with somewhat uncommon topics such as the impermanence of youth and dealing with growing older or the concept of music being a truly effective means of communication across various boundaries. "Suppress the intense with distance. We're all caught up in the romance, replaced with the inauthentic. Rust can never rest. On these days I wish I left when you did." Very recommended. This is an amaing band and I have a big feeling that they're gonna turn some heads in a major way once their full-length drops. I'm psyched about this stuff.