Review Summary: Not original metalcore/post-hardcore, but with explosive breakdowns and explosive extreme vocals.
The guys from Portland worked on the release, at the moment the team is on a long-term hiatus since 2015. Released only three singles and one cover after this album.
This EP is a generic release for any post-hardcore/metalcore band. Here we have canonical clean vocal choruses at moments where the guitars play dead note chords, and bright extreme vocals accompanied by undeniable zero-mindedness. If you are a big fan of this genre, you will definitely be able to enjoy this album and add at least one song to your playlist.
"Join or Die" is the main hit of the album, which is also my favourite song of the album. This song has everything that made us fall in love with post-hardcore. A rousing intro with a delicious scream and zeroes, a memorable part with a chorus, a delicious breakdown in the middle of the timeline, and what else do you need? Also, here we can be pleased with a beautiful bridge with samples and keys near the end.
The meaning of the lyrics of the song is perfectly revealed by its title, and as for the subtext, everyone can fantasize their own theories.
"Directions" has the same structure, only at the beginning of the track we are greeted by keyboards and ambient guitar. The lyrics in the song probably talk about the friendship of two people. One of the friends has changed not for the better, and the other does not recognize him at all, so they will have to part. To choose different paths, because he cannot watch how his former comrade drives himself into the grave.
"Keep It Secret, Keep It Safe" is the most metalcore song of the entire playlist, also has the heaviest guitar riffs and a lot of breakdowns, but the clean vocals are still on point, as is the post-hardcore theme. It seems to me that the title of the song is a reference to Gandalf's phrase from the movie "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring". I tried for a long time to catch the meaning of the text of this song, and I kind of got there. So, we have a problem related to love, and it consists in the fact that we sometimes want to turn back time, when we were good, joyful, at the moment when the last phrase of the text "It's all temporary... look down the road, and you will see things will all get better. So pull yourself together.", I think, speaks for itself and does not need any explanation.
"Lead Feet in Deep Waters" has an identical opening as on Directions, from here we have a kind of biting guitar playing, but the band is drowning here in terms of self-repetition, both structurally and lyrically. The text has no main theme and blurs in repetitions.
"One and Done" was remembered for its "pre-breakdowns", performed rather coolly. In the lyrics, we have a situation where you give all of yourself to your love without getting anything in return.
"By Morning You'll Be Gone" is a post-hardcore ballad, of course there are metalcore moments, but there are much more dead note chords here. Overall, a great, emotional song to close the album, you can hear more emotions, even growls, on the extreme vocals. The text reveals a banal topic for emocore, and again about love. Having found a girl for the night, MC falls in love with her, and he does not know how to act, leave her or give in to his feelings.
Similar bands: The Paramedic, For All I Am, One Year Later, Blessed By A Burden, Amyst, As Artifacts, Through Arteries, Dismiss the Serpent
Pros and cons:
+ Explosive extreme vocals
+ Enough breakdowns
+ Melodic choruses
+ Zero tabs
+ Use of symphonic elements
- Not the original submission
- Auto-tune of clean vocals
Basic moments:
Join or Die
Keep It Secret, Keep It Safe
By Morning You'll Be Gone
Bump
