Damages

Unrequited [7-inch] (2010)

Brian Shultz

The latest 7" from just one of the many Damages out there, this one from Vancouver continues spinning a howling, aggressively slammed take on '90s emotional hardcore.

This two-song single, Unrequited features an A-side, "Post Date", that commences with an ominous, steady riff and then a sinister, building drumbeat that explodes with the lyric "Securityyy!" Though better production would probably make that transition really grab the listener by the throat, glossy tones don't really seem to be the band's thing. While there's a slightly frantic, sludgy procession to both this song and the B side, "Saving Face", that actually makes me think of a less metallic and chaotic Coalesce, their vocals are certainly bear-like. Other comparisons the band more often get point more to their influence in the abovementioned '90s emotional hardcore (Shotmaker), plus the post-hardcore of that era too (Hoover). Probably just splitting hairs there, but you can hear hints of the latter in the quieter, darker spoken-word parts and softer–but still unsettling–guitar plucks.

While the recording tone really is maybe a little too muffled, maybe the band was just going for the '90s vibe on this, and they kinda nail it in that regard.