Here's some vicious metalcore from Canada in the 90's vein. The songs are pretty much all around two minutes or less with basic rhythms and moderate tempos, not to mention some massive mosh parts. I'm not that into the vocals because they sound forced and lack any real power, and the recording needs work, but the songwriting is dead on for this style. The breakdowns kick ass, there's just enough energy to keep things moving, and they keep everything short but sweet. As for the recording, things are a little quiet and flat, so I'd suggest more volume, a louder bass presence, and more robust distortion for the guitars. It's not so bad, I've heard worse, but a little polishing up could make these songs totally kill. I think the vocals are a bigger issue, though. The delivery is just too strained, so it might be a better idea to go with more of a straight yelling approach instead of this overly aggressive attempt. Most of the songs do sound the same, which is no great surprise for this genre, and I'm not bothered by that since the thing's only 13 minutes long. The layout looks pretty good with lots of scratchy text (a little hard to read but it's nice to look at) and some unexpected cartoon-ish artwork of a scantily clad schoolgirl in a filthy alley, which, while professional in appearance, is pretty damn cheesy and makes no sense to me... especially when they have a song allegedly declaring their distaste for guys who act like hardcore is all about getting girls. Whatever. The lyrics are mostly personal or scene related and deal with unity and hardships and all that, I'm not that taken by the content though, and that weird discrepancy between the cover art and the lyrics to "Another Broken Heart" rubs me the wrong way. Hell, in fact, the cover makes no sense in regards to this music at all. Period. Overall this sounds more like a demo than an official EP, but wit a little work they'll hit the mark. I like the songs, but the sound needs more punch and the vocals aren't cutting it. Next time make the artwork actually represent the music, too.
[Round 2]
Running time - 13:01, Tracks: 8
[Notable tracks: The Freakshow, The Enemy]
Round 2 Records - http://www.round2records.net
