I’m a bit surprised that I feel compelled to write this review to be frank. On the face of it, a self-released modern metalcore record doesn’t feel that promising. But I find this record to be worthy of discussion for a few specific reasons that I’ll elaborate on. To get it out of the way, I think this record is actually pretty good. But it’s by no means successful in all its endeavours. Allow me to elaborate.

It would maybe be more accurate to describe this record as being 50% metalcore (the modern variety), 30% deathcore (there’s a lot of breakdowns that approach slam in their absurdity and vocals that swing from radio cleans to Will Ramos levels of crazy) and 20% EDM (as it’s known over on the other side of the Atlantic). So, to focus on the positives of this mix, when the band want to be heavy, they can do that. When they want to be melodic, they can do that (albeit in the saccharine radio-friendly fashion). When they want to pepper their music with electronic bells and whistles (metaphorically speaking) they can certainly do that. Indeed some tracks meld them relatively well. The title track, for example. But where those who are keen on the more melodic or radio-friendly elements will find the deathcore too much, those who are more accustomed to the madness of deathcore, may find the uplifting and conventionally melodic choruses a bit of a turn-off. And let’s be honest, no-one who is purely an EDM fan is going to happen across this record. No way, no how. Which is probably handy as they wouldn’t know what the fuck to do with it.

But here’s the thing; a lot that’s on this record is kind of…good. The main thing I keep coming back to is how well it’s produced. The fact that this was handled by the band’s bassist, Rik Bosmans, really deserves some consideration. On top of that, the special effects in their recent video for the title track were executed by guitarist Max van Esch. As a kicker, the lyrical content of the record was written (as you might imagine) by lead vocalist Stef Rikken, who drew heavily from his day job as a social worker in mental health care. Basically, it’s maybe not DIY in the traditional punk sense, but it is literally DIY. Maybe to my shame, I think of modern metalcore as being anathema to the punk DIY spirit, but this group from Eindhoven are doing it themselves. With integrity and authenticity.

To the record itself again, though. There are moments, thanks in large parts to the production job, that will slap your damn lips off. There are genuinely nuanced bass textures and big ol’ guitar and vocal hooks. But then, it does sometimes lose its impact as well. I sincerely believe this record would be a solid point higher if it were trimmed to 35 mins or so. If you did that, skilfully, you’d have a record that excites, that has more than enough ideas to carry it through, would still hit hard come the end of the record; and invite another ‘press play’ moment. As it is, there are 3 interludes, which I’m not against per se, but also 9 tracks that sit in the 3-4 minute bracket. They’re not formulaic as such, but they do tend to get lost in the crowd and cease to be clearly discernible from one another. Which is a shame.

I was close to finishing this review up with a “who is this for?” passage, but being honest, I can’t pretend I don’t like it. The melding of gnarly 7-string riffs with modern electronics is fun. The fact that the band leans more heavily into the harsh vocal reminds me of an (admittedly less dextrous) early While She Sleeps. The production, I have to call out again, is simply brilliant. Impactful, not too shiny, but still combines well with the more radio-friendly moments. And there’s heaps of invention in the record. Maybe that’s because this is a young band and as such you’d expect it. But tracks like “mirage” show a flair for legit EDM (not just shoe-horning elements into otherwise disparate songs) that I’m left with no questions about the band’s talent. So. It might not be for me, and it may not be the finished product, but this is a record worth listening to. And a band worth keeping an eye on. Not least of all because I have literally no idea what the next record will sound like. Or what the live show would be like (never mind the audience). Let’s just hope they don’t go lean into the more Sleep Token or Bad Omens aspects of their sound.