Review Summary: Short, but sweet.
B-Sides are often scrapped material that an artist deems unworthy of making the final cut of an album. Or, alternatively, B-Sides can also be a form of fan service. An extra taste of what could have been. Well, as no surpise to anyone, I can safely say that
Private Room is the ultimate form of the latter. Offering three new songs and clocking in at less than eight minutes, Counterparts’ new EP is a ferociously heavy, yet radiant experience that ends almost as quickly as it begins. The band has seemingly perfected their blend of melodic hardcore mixed with early-2000’s esque tributes to metalcore fathers such as Misery Signals and Poison the Well. The fierce, driving melodic chord progressions utilized by Blake Hardman, primal energy behind the drum kit courtesy of Kyle Brownlee, as well as the scathing vocals of Brendan Murphy all coalesce into an absolute force to be reckoned with. Counterparts have proven to be a class act in the world of melodic hardcore since their debut effort Prophets back in 2010, and this EP is no different.
Private Room is a series of cuts that were made for their 2017 release You’re Not You Anymore, (except for Monument, which was originally supposed to be on Tragedy Will Find Us) but were ultimately put on the back burner until the band decided they should “see the light of day.” And holy hell, am I glad they decided to make that decision. From the crushing crowdkiller “Monument”, which has the absolute heaviest breakdown/lyrics I’ve heard from the band in a long time, “Put a ***ing bullet in my head, and dig your feet into my back before you leave” to the beautifully soaring leads of “We Forgive” this EP has everything a Counterparts fan loves, and more. A quick, engaging listen that will provide newcomers a taste of what the band has to offer, and help tide over diehard fans until the next full length record.
