Review Summary: Refreshingly energetic metalcore
Released by Upstate Records in January 2022, “Life…And Everything After” is the debut full-length release by Philadelphia based five-piece metalcore band Gloves Off. While some fans may have found some disappointment to discover that the first four tracks were not new material as they had already featured in 2020’s “Life” EP, the album as a unit is a very impressive powerhouse of modern metalcore with equal parts aggression and abrasion.
Album opener “Pinnacle in Timeline” has such a catastrophically slow and heavy introduction that one could be forgiven for thinking they were listening to a doom metal band but before long, Gloves Off blast into full-pelt, savagely heavy metallic hardcore. The remainder of the album flies by in a whirlwind of frenetic drumming, crushingly heavy riffs, jarring panic chords and the occasional destructive breakdown. Songs such as “In Reflection” and “Winter Solstice” contain riffs of skull-crushing proportions while the closing track “Between Greetings and Goodbyes” adds an additional layer to the mix in the form of black metal influenced atmosphere. The punishing qualities of the music are matched perfectly by the vocalist who delivers a performance with a supreme degree of anger and ferocity.
Most impressive, however, is the refreshing level of energy the band manage to channel into their music and this coupled with an exhibition of strong songwriting skills and an organically raw yet powerfully rich production job results in a very confident debut album which makes a strong statement not only in the world of metalcore but the world of heavy music in general and stands out proudly amongst a very overpopulated genre.
