Ampere/Raein

Split EP (2015)

RENALDO69

If you're one of those screamo-post hardcore fans who grew up on Orchid, and still miss their abrasive loud-cut music, then Ampere's a way for you to relive their days. Guitarist Will Killingsworth keeps things alive here bringing Orchid's style back to life and reminding fans why they were considered one of the pioneers in the genre. It's a great accent for Raein, who impressed with Perpetuum, to further add to, complementing in a much more contemporary type of screamo noise. In short, it's a great snapshot of two bands who look set to take a stab at longer records in the near future.

Ampere's less melodic and focus on heavy, fast-paced screamo. A lot of their music switches to denser hardcore mannerisms as seen on "Parallels" and "Holding Pattern" with much darker, metal-esque elements cropping up. They don't spend any time prettying up the production and just like their predecessor, their focus is on grime like contemporaries such as Barren Womb. It's a nice contrast to Raein, who clearly feel more aligned to bands like Pianos Become The Teeth, We Were Skeletons, State Lines and a few others who were part of or still are considered crucial to The Wave.

The musical structures are more intricate and as loud as they get, there's a lovely post-rock atmosphere slipped in. "Comete" is just one of their three tacks on offer to show this. It's also one of the big standouts on a five-track EP that continues to show promise and provide great insight into one of the most polarising rock genres. Ampere's more caustic and direct while Raein are much more ambient and provocative. Not a bad spilt at all.