Review Summary: A clear message.
If you’re a fan of cacophonous hardcore, then look no further than this no-frills 3-track EP. Not to be confused with the Welsh punk band or the Australian experimental duo who share the same name, this New York-based quartet brings a concise and enjoyable slab of hardcore to the allotted 7-minute time frame. Granted,
Value of Self doesn’t do anything particularly original or new for the genre, donning the same kind of gloomy-dense garb bands like Leeched and Code Orange have been well into wearing in by now, but they do deliver their tunes in earnest – which is definitely half the battle. It’s an EP riddled in ostensibly arbitrary songwriting, the likes of “Still Think” which resonates the most with its contemporaries; containing a boatload of jarring tempo cuts and ice-picking guitar sweeps. The best moment from the entire EP is in the opening to “Value of Self” which lets loose with robust energy that oscillates between crushing riffs and odd time signatures, while “Don’t Think” brings blast beats and perforations of groove to break things up. The problem with this sound isn’t in its fundamentals, but its lack of ambition. What makes Habits’ peers more appealing and ahead of the curve is they implement a broader influence to their songs – whether they succeed with their experimentations or not.
Value of Self is a blunt offering that’ll appeal to fans of this style, but on overview the EP lacks proper flavour. Habits have set their plinth down for what is hopefully a new album, it’s just a matter of adding their own stamp and colour to make things flourish and stand out as their own thing.
FORMAT//EDITIONS: DIGITAL//V̶A̶R̶I̶O̶U̶S̶ ̶C̶D̶ ̶B̶U̶N̶D̶L̶E̶S̶
PACKAGING: N/A
SPECIAL EDITION: N/A
ALBUM STREAM//PURCHASE: https://upstaterecords.merchnow.com/catalogs/habits
