Review: The Prestige - Amer

Our lives are characterized by a series of snapshot events. We are transient beings that are comprised of a series of fleeting moments, far-fetched dreams, and vast idealizations. In the cosmic scheme of things, we’re merely temporary special specks that exit life as soon as we enter it. We, therefore, try to capture and document each moment in a photograph in an attempt to create a visual preservation of a memory and pass down its story to future generations. In a sense, we actualize the adage “a picture is worth a thousand words” every time we press the shutter button on a camera.  Sadly, photographs get lost, burned, thrown away, or faded beyond recognition, thereby burying its associated memory and message in the ever-erasing passage of time. With over 7 billion people on the planet, it’s easy to become a forgotten memory or a faded photograph, lost in the sands of time. But, a few images are so powerful that they stand as an ever-lasting tribute, and The Prestige has risen to this stature. Their sophomore release, Amer, casts a vibrant image that will outlast the turning of time with every searing riff and bitter verse.

Kicking off the album is the title track, “Amer”, a dark, eerie track that will instantly grip your ears and send chills down your spine. Blistering, eerie riffs that seethe bitterness greet your ears as rising industrial-esque instrumental effects rumble forth and plunder your ears with the might of a hellish stampede before flourishing into a ravaging intertwined display of headbang-inducing punctuality and hair-raising riffage. Drummer Thibaut Cavelier lightly wraps pounding, intense percussive elements around the swirling storm of instrumentation as vocalist Alex Diaz’s raw screams tear at your ears with a bitter, melancholic urgency. The clustering storm of skin-shredding instrumentation dissipates into the familiar eerie introductory riff before carrying over into the next aurally seductive track, “Bête Noire.” Menacing riffs, harsh screams, and driving percussion descend upon your ears like vultures to a carcass as they viciously tear at your ears. Guitarists Alex and Raphael’s excellent display of skin-shredding, heavy riffage is fast met by spastic squeals and haunting melodic overlays that soar and hover overtop the torrent of face-melting instrumentation. Lurking beneath these high-flying instrumentals is bassist Julien’s brooding bass riffs and licks that steadily groove with a bitter, chilling tonality. Drummer Thibaut Cavelier wields a powerful combination of excellent cymbal play, quick footwork, and fantastic rolls and solos for an overall insanity-inducing percussive display that will make you question the number of arms he truly has. Intermittent interludes in the form of spastic, energetic arias and quick licks burst and bloom over powerful, heavy riffs to give the track a chaotic depth to the already unnerving, bone-tingling instrumentation and musicality as it gradually settles and fades into an amalgamation of squealing instrumentals that, in turn, dissolve into silence. 

Although every track on this album can be considered a stand-out track, “Léger De Main” is absolutely deserving of an honorable mention. A deep, venomous riff stealthily paces back and forth through your ears as infectious, echoed melodic notes and overlays grow increasingly haunting with each suspenseful rise and retreat. Alex opens with spine-chilling, sinister clean vocals that gradually escalate to his raw style of bristling mid screams. The eerie instrumentals, following parallel to Alex’s vocal display, also gradually rise, building in intensity with every passing second. Raphael and Alex’s haunting licks eventually give way to anxiety-inducing dark riffs and Julien’s brooding undertones which swiftly take command and steadily encroach on your ears like a panther stalking its prey. Cavelier follows suit, gradually introducing light percussive elements that steadily turn to ominous pounding that is sure to incite heart-palpitations with each suspenseful kick and hit. The instrumentals as a unit masterfully continue this seizing, heart-attack-inducing, suspenseful aural stalking before suddenly launching a blazing attack of maddening pull-riffs, grooving bass, driving percussion, and ear-splitting screams for a cumulatively blood-curdling tonality that will destroy you as it rips your ears and your sanity to shreds.

The album closes with “Cri De Coeur”, a track that oozes bitter resentment in every jarring piece of instrumentation. Sliding, enticing pull-riffs and bitter, raw mid screams instantly hit your ears with the intensity of a passing freight train. Pick slides and slightly discordant melodic overlays abound this track and nip at your ears as they soar over Julien’s spiteful bass lines and Cavelier’s aptly crafted, relentless percussion. Alex and Raphael frequently break the flood of heavy riffage with a masterful blend of ambient, haunting overlays, melodic arias, and flying sustained notes before melting back into the emotive, bone-crunching instrumentals. Cavelier unleashes his technical prowess in a series of mind-blowing drum rolls and solos that pierce your ears with the ravaging intensity of bullets from a firing squad. A grooving interlude built upon steadily rumbling bass lines and melodic, chilling arias, and eerie backing “ah’s” echo behind Alex’s urgent mid screams comes to a grinding halt for a haunting pairing of desperate screams and a faded piano medley that will make your hair stand on end. This jarringly eerie, emotive instrumental break sweeps back into one last wave of raging, ferociously bitter instrumentation, thereby leaving you aurally ravaged and bereft of breath long after the music has ceased to play.

Overall, The Prestige has created one of the most timeless and intense hardcore albums to date.  The amount of musicianship and energy that poured into each meticulously crafted track is absolutely astounding and sets the bar at a new level that most other hardcore bands will never quite reach. Every bitter riff and verse is not without purpose or precision. Amer is more than an album and more than a snapshot- it’s a story with an image that burns so vividly and vibrantly that it takes on an everlasting form. If a picture is truly worth a thousand words, The Prestige’s Amer is the story of a lifetime.

10/10

For Fans Of: Deafheaven, Every Time I Die, Touche Amore

Katt Hass

Review: Tidus Is Alive - Stuck In Limbo

We are kinetic and directional creatures that thrive on structure and routine. We devise schedules, maps, and other micro-manageable sequences in an effort to establish a maintainable and customizable order that best fits our ever-expanding aspirations. That’s why the feeling of being “stuck in limbo” can unleash a path of devastation that can derail even the most ambitious and fluid of dreamers.  For those of you who have the luxury of never experiencing such a phenomenon, being stuck in limbo can best be equated to being stuck in a form of stasis within an ambiguous void.  It’s as if you exist on a different plane that floats between two realms. Most people become exhausted, broken, and drained from the lack of directionality, thereby rooting themselves to the immobilizing ground upon which they stand. A rare few can recognize their situation and, despite all odds, create something from it. Among these driven few stands Denny Ranno’s solo project, Tidus Is Alive.  The one-man band’s debut EP, Stuck In Limbo, features a masterful blend of pop-punk and post-hardcore that is bursting at the seams with a contagious amount of energy.

The album opens with “Step Aside”, an explosive track that burns with an undying amount of energetic musicality. A rumbling fade-in intro fast approaches before trampling your ears with a stampede of explosive riffs and pulsating percussion. Denny Ranno’s poppy, energetic riffs flourish and melt into fast-paced riffage and heavy chugging as intermittent melodic overlays and squeals playfully tug at your ears. Pulsating percussion built upon an amazing display of cymbal play and footwork adds a driving energy and rhythmic intensity that will pierce through your soul and captivate your eardrums. Ranno utilizes a brilliant blend of raw mid screams and clean vocals to make emotive verses, catchy choruses, and allow his overall vocal delivery to do exactly what it was meant to do: soar freely. Enthusiastic and lively breakdowns frequent this track, featuring a dynamic display of unison-shouted vocals and screams against flawless instrumentation. The sheer amount of energy, passion, and masterful technicality and musicality that abounds throughout the whole duration of this track earns “Step Aside” its place as the album’s absolute stand-out track.

Up next is “Checkmate”, a groovy, anthemic track that will infect your ears with passionate riffs and emotive verses. A groovy mixture of melodic riffs, grooving bass lines, and bouncy percussion immediately greet your ears from the moment you press play. Melodic chords wrestle back and forth with deep, thundering chugging to create a vibrant aural balance of harmony and discord. Lightly sustained melodic licks and driving percussion gently nip at your ears as they sail overtop the hail of emotive, fast-paced riffage. Ranno puts a primary spotlight on his clean vocals with tasteful hints of raw screams accenting his smooth, emotive vocal delivery. Spastic interludes of heavy riffage are tastefully scattered about before reaching culmination in the form of a groovy, mosh-inducing, enthusiastic breakdown that is guaranteed to produce massive head-banging to the point of whiplash with every well-placed chug, hit, kick, and scream.   

The album closes with “Robin”, a ballad that best showcases Denny Ranno’s softer side as he flexes his pop-punk prowess. Heavy riffs quickly fade in and take on a new form of melodic, toe-tapping chord progressions decorated with flecks of sustained notes and melodic overlays. Driving percussion is neither overpowering nor dull as every one of Ranno’s aptly crafted kicks, hits, and crashes perfectly complements the rest of the instrumentals. Once again, Ranno showcases his clean vocals and adds harmonies, muted effects, and sparsely-placed screams to give his vocal delivery a more emotive, relatable quality. What truly makes this track special is Ranno’s attention to smaller details to give the track more depth, such as an interlude in which sung notes replace distorted riffs, the utilization of lightly-crafted harmonies, and brief instrumental pauses for a more balanced, emotive affectation. The result is the kind of catchy, fun pop-punk ballad that your ears so desperately need.

Overall, TIdus Is Alive has created one of the most energetic split-genre releases of this year. Stuck In Limbo, despite its title, is the farthest thing from being stuck in limbo- it very clearly boasts its liveliness and fluidity with every energetic verse and catchy chorus. What’s most outstanding about this album- besides the fact that it was created in its entirety by one musician- is Ranno’s instrumental and vocal attention to detail to give the album the kind of depth that other pop-punk bands merely dream of. If Tidus Is Alive can create such vibrant musicality from being stuck in limbo, just imagine what the band can create once freed from such an uneasy and static state of being.

8.9/10

For Fans Of: Chunk! No, Captain Chunk!, A Day to Remember, Hero To Human, The Day After, Well Planned Attack

Katt Hass

Review: Under Paris - Transitions

Philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson once stated, “Not in his goals but in his transitions is man great.” Some may think or regard this as adaptation, but it’s actually more of a form of transcendence through hardships. Should you persevere and successfully surpass and navigate your goals through life’s plethora of trials and tribulations, you will likely thrive in the name of your efforts and fluid determination. If it holds true that in his transitions man finds greatness, then Under Paris’ debut release, Transitions, has set the band on a course towards success with every energetic riff and merciless breakdown.

Kicking off the album is “Shallow Grave”, a blistering, brooding track that is armed to the teeth with ravaging musicality and relentless brutality. A quick, eerie, discordant guitar lick greets your ears before swiftly introducing you face-first to a murderous frenzy of vicious, heavy riffage and guttural screams. Guitarists Serrano and Morrow masterfully craft intertwining spastic melodic arias that burst and flourish overtop the hail of slightly groovy, thundering riffs that are guaranteed to shred through your ears. Drummer Lucas Richards puts forth a magnificent display of quick, skillful footwork and excellent cymbal play in his pulsating, jaw-breaking percussion as bassist Riley Phillips steadily grooves on. Vocalist Michael “Thorr” Alexander proves his given namesake of the mighty Norse God with a frenzied array of deep, vengeful growls and ferocious, throat-tearing mid screams. The seemingly endless torrent of fierce instrumentation and relentless rage suddenly delves down into one last sprinting, face-melting breakdown.

Up next is “At War With Myself”, a weighted track that displays the band’s softer, yet energetic and emotionally heavier side. A melodic strummed riff steadily merges into heavy, driven riffs, driving percussion, and deep, somewhat gentler screams. Serrano and Morrow showcase their well-rounded instrumental talent with a clashing pairing of melodic, emotionally weighted riffs and jarring bursts of heavy chugging and melodic overlays to make an instrumental dichotomy that runs parallel with the song’s lyrical content. Richards also intelligently mashes a gentler, more cymbal and toms-driven style with bursts of footwork-driven, “traditional” metalcore elements that perfectly matches the rest of the presented instrumentation. Michael Alexander’s split between vengeful, heavy lows and deep mid screams add a layer of intensity to the emotional disparity that is clearly felt throughout the track. Alexander’s screams intermittently subside to allow a surprising added element of clean vocals from bassist Riley Phillips to soar and captivate. Under Paris ends this emotionally torn track with a final hair-raising, somber, ringing question from Phillips: “What have I become? Is there something more?”

Although Transitions features quite a few stand-out tracks, the explosive track “Yolswag#420” is absolutely deserving of an honorable mention. This short track packs a heavy punch that is guaranteed to rupture your eardrums. Grooving, pitch bent riffs from Serrano and Morrow become progressively more violent as tumultuous layers of grooving, unforgiving bass lines from Phillips and Richards’ pounding, driving percussion join the mania-inducing fray. What truly sets this track apart from the rest is the abrupt mashing of pacing in which previously fast-paced riffage comes to a gradual, grinding halt for a series of intense, grooving, sexy, sliding, bone-crunching breakdowns. Every slide, kick, and chug is presented as aural ecstasy as your ears are repeatedly pummeled with the audible replication of the feeling of having your skin slowly ground away as your face is repeatedly introduced to a concrete wall of heavy sound. 

Another honorable mention is “Midwest Winters”, yet another surprisingly instrumentally and vocally emotive track. A simple chain of strummed notes gives way to emotionally charged riffage backed by relentless driving percussion. Vocalists Alexander and Phillips cleverly weave a beautiful pairing of clean screams and harsh mid screams and growls. The lightly echoed lyrics of Phillips’ cleanly sung chorus adds a nice layer of backing intensity to the overall vocal delivery of this track.  Serrano and Morrow have this extremely skillful quality of adding slightly discordant or melodic notes on their chords and have a special knack for putting an unwavering amount of energy behind every emotive melodic overlay and passionate, intensely chugged verse. A surprisingly forceful breakdown smashes through the layers of emotive riffs before quickly taking a lighter turn and returning to the passionate chord progression of the emotionally-drenched chorus. 

The album closes with “At Peace”, a bouncy, grooving track that unleashes a final aural assault of skin-shredding breakdowns and charged lyricism. Energetic riffs and pulsating percussion gradually build and explode into a mixture of fast-paced riffs and melodic arias and overlays as Phillips pours his heart out in his delivery of clean vocals. Again, Under Paris presents a split dichotomy of melodic and heavier elements as the melodic instrumentals spastically take on a much more fierce and aggressive form through interludes of sizzling breakdowns and grizzly growls and split-scream harmonies from Alexander. The seamless addition and integration of guest vocals from The Color Morale’s Garret Rapp adds a perfect layer of lyrical and vocal intensity and emotionalism that perfectly balances out the undertones of melodic and heavy instrumentation before delving back into a final tirade of relentless, jarring breakdowns that will leave you begging for more. 

Overall, Under Paris has created an album that could easily be mistaken for a storybook or a timeline.  Each track signifies a noticeable change or transition from one state to another, and aptly documents these changes. More importantly, the instrumentation perfectly fits each and every change of pace and of mindset, all the while never allowing their passion or energy to cease or quiver. If Emerson's declaration is correct- if man is truly great in his transitions rather than his goals- then Under Paris’ Transitions is reaching towards perfection.

9/10

For Fans Of: It Dies Today, Scarlett O’Hara, Like Moths to Flames 

Katt Hass

Review: Enthrall the Weak -"Heavy Hearts" [Single]

The great Chinese philosopher Confucius once said, “Wherever you go, go with all your heart.” The idea behind his message is simple: put all of your energy into something –your passion, your skill, and your will – and the product of such efforts will take on success in the direction that you make it take.   Embodying this philosophy is none other than Ohio’s Enthrall the Weak. Their latest single, “Heavy Hearts”, takes on a consistently heavy directionality with an aggressively passionate and energetic approach.

Viscous riffs and licks and equally enraged drum fills kick off this track before exploding into an aggressive frenzy of brutal, emotive instrumental and vocal tonality.  Grooving, fast, irate riffs from guitarists Amato and Gray pulsate, swell, and burst with the sudden and fatal intensity of an aneurysm. Drummer Jimmy Amato’s aptly crafted drum fills, cymbal play, and excellent, borderline-insane footwork in his delivery of relentless percussion adds a perfect layer of instrumental passion and tonality. Vocalist David Darlak utilizes a brilliant combination of shouted lyrics and gritty, singeing mid and high screams to deliver a vocal performance that burns with a raw, sizzling intensity of a chemical burn. Multiple interludes abound in the form of savage riffage and short, blistering breakdowns. What truly makes this track special- aside from the ferocious, fast-paced, looming breakdown led by a grooving bass drop from bassist Trace Miller- is the equal parts of collaborative musicianship executed by all members to form an overall perfectly-crafted tonality of persistent and precise brutality.

Enthrall the Weak has crafted an excellent example of the powerful blend of pristine skill, unwavering energy, and passionate, heartfelt musicianship. No singular musical element overpowers the rest as each musician’s skill is masterly interwoven within one another’s to form a perfect  harmony of persistent heaviness. Enthrall the Weak has created more than a track- they’ve managed to take a poetic feeling of emotional weight and combine it with drive and stellar instrumentation to give such a melancholic phenomenon an audible dimension of depth. “Heavy Hearts” is a powerful, refreshing, and passionate track that best exemplifies what it means to go somewhere with all of your heart.

10/10

For Fans Of: Know Lyfe, When Skies Go Black, At No End

Katt Hass

Review: My Ransomed Soul - Trilateral

All human minds require constant sensory stimulation and continual testing of reflexes. It’s part of how we learn- we compile data from all of these previous experiences and –from said data- make predictions and decisions within a matter of seconds. In turn, we develop routine, an understanding of order, and the ability to understand, question and improve our societal structures. But our minds function much like an economy- we require our own sort of mental stimulus package. As much as we are creatures of habit, we still need a variation of (or a deviation in) stimuli to keep ourselves active, alert, and sharp. Without any new stimulation, we grow bored, lethargic, and complacent with our dependencies on structured routines. We begin to operate like machines- working the same cycle repetitively until exhaustion overtakes us. We forget or lose our wit, our ability to feel, and our ability to think and make informed decisions as independent entities. Thankfully, My Ransomed Soul is emerging as the refreshing new stimulus our ears so desperately need. Their third release, Trilateral, is sure to elicit a new-found wave of response with every crashing breakdown, groovy riff, and passionate, politically-charged verse.

Opening the album is “Rise”, a brief, menacing intro built upon pulsating layers of swiftly rising industrial effects that instantly bleed into the next brooding track, “Mockingbird.” Commanding riffs, raw mid screams, and pulsating percussion immediately hit your ears with the crashing force of falling trees. Guitarists Frey and Fernandez intelligently mash together a driving display of heavy chugging with spastic bursts of slightly-discordant arias and melodic overlays.  Backing this frontal assault is drummer Fredy Menjivar’s relentless percussion, which showcases his footwork and excellent cymbal play that is masterfully intertwined with the intensity of the rest of the instrumentation. Vocalist Brendon Frey wields a powerful display of angry, raw mid screams and dynamic split-scream harmonies. Jarring breakdowns rudely burst through the heavy riffage, with every chug perfectly orchestrated to rile you up and set your blood boiling. It’s more than a moment of stellar instrumentation- it’s a much needed wake-up call.  What’s more, My Ransomed Soul utilizes a sampled recording of a George H. W. Bush quote – and it actually fits the charged instrumentation and lyrical content perfectly.    

It’s near impossible to name a singular stand-out track on this album, as each one stands on its own as its own commentary. However, the explosive track “Monarch” is absolutely deserving of an honorable mention. An angry, accusatory lick immediately explodes into forceful, bitter grooving riffs matched by equally spiteful raw screams from Frey and an unrelenting tirade of percussion from Menjivar. My Ransomed Soul truly flexes their collective technical prowess and precision in every grinding, sliding breakdown, each seething with waves of vindictiveness and discontent that transcends through your ears to your mind and your soul. The overall bitter tonality from every jarring, anticipatory chug is both enraging and eye-opening as your ears are mercilessly slammed with an instrumental and musical intensity that is guaranteed to knock your teeth out of your skull.

Another honorable mention is “Trilateral”, a short, yet reflective track. A melodic, simple, plucked melody rings out overtop a sampled interview between former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and Charlie Rose over the topic of the fragile state of Syria.  Undertones of powerful, introspective guitar and bass riffs simmer below the sampled recording, before lashing out into a gentle, melodic medley of layered guitars and mild percussive elements. Some may not find this interesting, but it is goddamn special. My Ransomed Soul has done something that most other bands are incapable of doing or have failed to achieve: producing a track that is equally as heavy as a breakdown, sans breakdowns and sans ferocious riffs. My Ransomed Soul has provided us proof that commentary, or more simply put words formed into sentences are as powerful as aggressive riffs.  This track not only provides our ears with an emotive commentary which we are to analyze- it also perfectly blends with the rest of the theme/flow of the album. It’s a stimulus. It’ll make you listen. It’ll make you think.

The album closes with “Revive”, a deeply emotive, reflective track bound by an impassioned, melodic tonality. Fast-paced, pitch-bent riffs and licks groove alongside desperate emotionally drenched melodic riffs and overlays and crashing percussion, crafting a conflicting, yet vibrant intensity. Frey unleashes a more serious, despairing, heartfelt force in his raw vocal delivery with each passionate verse. Groovy riffage is layered into tumultuous melodic, gentle overlays and undertones which mirror Frey’s vocal delivery and craft an overall emotionally-drenched, passionate, and invigorating tonality that will pull at your heartstrings.

Overall, My Ransomed Soul has created one of the most engaging albums of this year. Trilateral is the most politically charged album I have heard since Green Day’s 2004 release, American Idiot. The amount of musicianship and technical and creative prowess that My Ransomed Soul has utilized to shape their views into an entire album with a near-seamless flow and unrelenting amount energy is absolutely astounding.  Trilateral is a conversation piece, a commentary, and a wake-up call. It’s the stimulation our ears, our minds, and our generation desperately needs.  Your choice is how you wish to respond to its call. 

9.5/10

For Fans Of: Like Moths to Flames, Prime Meridian, For Today

Katt Hass

Review: Prophasis - Boundaries

We are told from a young age that we can “move mountains” because “the sky’s the limit”, but rarely do we ever achieve such heights. Instead, such motivational idioms become short-lived dreams as we shroud ourselves in limitations. We draw lines in the sand, borders around countries, and erect figurative and literal walls around ourselves. Over time, we dismiss the driving urge to fit outside the box as childish, and we become eager to fit into the imprisoning walls of some form of normality. Some of us will toe the line; some will gaze wistfully at it; some will settle for less. However bleak this may sound, there still exists a small few who never cease in striving to step over the line, and Prophasis has joined their ranks. Their debut release, Boundaries, takes leaps and bounds, pushing through previously set limits and setting a new standard that others will be hard-pressed to match.

Kicking off this album is “Presage”, a blistering track packed with relentless breakdowns that will shake the earth beneath your feet. An eerie, distorted, industrial intro will have you shaking with anticipation through a steady escalation of tumultuous layered effects, suspenseful sliding strings, and pulsating percussive elements. This fast-encroaching intro finally caves in to an immediate assault of heavy riffs, a haunting melodic overlay, driving percussion, and low growls. A brilliant display of footwork from drummer Brad Wickham perfectly matches fast-paced riffs, spastic melodic solos, and discordant overlays from guitarist Cody Landers. A bone-crunching breakdown wreaks havoc on your ears with a combination of percussive bells and an undertone of heavy, assertive riffs. Following this path of destruction is an extremely brief, ethereal interlude led by gentle reverbed strumming and a vocal harmony of cleans and mid screams from vocalist Alan Ervin that gradually delves back into a slamming “thrash-and-burn” delivery of melodic, lightning-fast solos and crushing riffs and breakdowns.

The torrent of heavy instrumentation displayed in “Presage” flows seamlessly into the next pulverizing track, “Allegiance,” in which an unwavering display of ferocious breakdowns will hit you with enough force to shatter your ribcage. Landers’ grooving, pitch bent heavy riffs are intermittently met with bursts of short melodic and discordant arias before delving into fierce melodic solos that are matched  by relentless riffage and reciprocated by percussive bells. Drummer Brad Wickham displays an enormous amount of instrumental prowess with brilliant cymbal play and precisely crafted hits and kicks. Ervin delivers a brilliant display of brutal low, mid and high screams and utilizes split-scream harmonies for an overall crushing vocal delivery. A rage-inducing, sliding breakdown will savagely tear at your eardrums with a disgusting amount of force that can easily rival a volcanic eruption. You are guaranteed to see red in this unabating display of absolutely ruthless instrumentation.

While every single track on this album stands out in terms of instrumentation, individuality, and continuity, an honorable mention is at least fair for the explosive track that is “Exodus Of Rationality.” Slightly-gentler melodic riffs suddenly turn to violent bursts of chugging and ear-shattering breakdowns. Wickham displays the most intense footwork in this track, delivering a seemingly unending crushing intensity with every hit, kick and crash. Landers has this immaculate talent of weaving together fast-paced, insanely fierce riffs with gentle, slower, haunting melodic arias – and the meshing of instrumental styles is well-matched and successfully layered by the rest of the band members. The effect of this meshing lulls you into false senses of security and then quickly reintroduces your face to the concrete-like instrumentation of relentless, murderous breakdowns. Bassist Ryan Katka introduces groovy, crushing bass riffs in this track and audibly leads an impressive wave of assaulting, border-line sadistic breakdowns.

Another honorable mention is “Propaganda”, a track that is seething with forthright anger in every verse and riff. Persistently vicious riffage backed by intense percussive elements will bear down on you with the collective force and weight of an avalanche. Surprising bursts of melodic arias flourish and explode in the midst of tirades of pulverizing breakdowns from Landers. Ervin spares no technical expense, displaying his vocal prowess in absolutely stunning clean vocals and a ferocious onslaught of growls, mids, highs, and split scream harmonies.

This explosive album ends with “Obsidian”, a brooding track that is laden with writhing riffs and roaring breakdowns. Rushes of thundering, sliding riffs collide with ever-present undertones of rolling ambiance and simple, haunting notes overtop the deafening riffage and percussion. Intermittent, fast melodic arias and licks break the surface before churning back into waves of lacerating riffs. Harsh screams from Ervin and guest vocalist Jake Wolf of Reflections build layers of ravaging intensity within the already pulverizing instrumentation. Steadily growing undertones of layered ambiance and effects gradually overtake the heavy riffage for a brief moment and slowly fade out into a false-ending. Note the false-ending, which actually leads into one final rage-inducing, tibia-shattering, curb-stomping, merciless assault of breakdowns, which Prophasis cruelly allows to quickly fade-out to ensure and instill a Stockholm Syndrome-esque burning desire for more. You will beg. You will plead. You will cry and for one more, just one more minute of brutal instrumentation and slaying vocal delivery. Alas, your cries will not be heard, as the music swiftly fades away. You will be left dazed, aching, and shaking in the resulting silence at the end of this album.

Overall, Prophasis has crafted a spectacular, everlasting album that redefines what it means to be boundless. Where most bands merely toe the line, Prophasis has leapt far over it, pushing through every barrier and tearing through every limit to raise the standards to a new high. The fluidity at which this album progresses is astounding – each track masterfully flows into one another, yet still maintains their own aggressive individuality. Not a single note, kick, hit, crash, or scream is wasted throughout the duration of Prophasis’ onslaught of persistently heavy delivery. The absolutely stellar instrumentation and pristine continuity of relentless, thunderous breakdowns bears enough energy and force to shake down the highest mountains. Prophasis’ Boundaries is a truly limitless, flawless masterpiece. 

10/10

For Fans Of: Thy Art is Murder, After the Burial, Chelsea Grin

Katt Hass

Review: Skeyes- Empty Mirrors EP

National Geographic once estimated that over 100,000 wildfires ravage the U.S. annually, burning approximately 4 to 5 million acres of land. Moving at an average speed of 14 mph, these fires quickly overtake and consume everything in their wake. In an effort to combat this destructive phenomenon, official forces are trained to manage, control, and extinguish these large blazes while reaching environmental precautions and safety procedures to common folk. However, no amount of safety precautions and specialized training can prepare you for the fiery inferno that is Skeyes. Their debut release, Empty Mirrors EP, harnesses the raging power of nature’s most beautifully rugged force in a torrent of sustained melodies and ferocious breakdowns. 

Kicking off this fiery album is “Ethereal”, a track that is marked by an exquisite display of melodic ambiance and emotionally heavy riffs.  A quick drum fill gives way to explosive riffs and a flare of melodic overlays that, in turn, ignite a relentless delivery of heavy breakdowns from guitarists Cease and Macaluso.  Vocalists Dale Brosious and Jesse Cease masterfully intertwine raw clean vocals with vicious low growls to add a layer of intensity that burns more violently than a brush fire. The seemingly endless hail of scorching riffage suddenly halts for an ambient interlude in which gentle rising effects churn and billow behind lightly sustained piano notes, clean chords, and gritty clean vocals from guest vocalist Garret Rapp. The mixture of grit and melodic ambiance creates layered waves of raging intensity that billows and folds like smoke over trees, suspending your ears between the beauty and violent rage of a spiraling forest fire before delving into a final crushing assault of roaring breakdowns. 

Next is “Myriad”, an explosive track that is laden with spastic solos and incessantly heavy riffage.  Skeyes wastes no time, immediately slamming your ears with fiery walls of lightning-fast melodic arias over choppy, heavy riffs backed by driving percussion.  Spastic energetic solos explode and crackle like pine trees ablaze overtop searing breakdowns and heavy chugging. Raw cleans are met with a clashing force of split scream harmonies and ferocious growls from Brosious and Cease. Guitarists Cease and Macaluso juxtapose waves of pulverizing breakdowns and rugged, chaotic riffs against complementary haunting melodic overlays to create a chilling effect that will have your skin breaking into goose bumps as your aural forest is burned to the ground. 

This brief but vibrant album ends with “Ars Amatoria”, a track that is packed with bursts of melodic riffs in one last reflective rage against the dying light.  Gently strummed notes from Macaluso and Cease meet sweeping layers of light melodic arias before delving into pounding percussive elements and smoldering riffs that burn with a final bright emotional intensity of a dying flame. Clean, soothing vocals follow parallel to the instrumentals, soon becoming gritty and then gradually descending into one final display of emotionally charged low screams.  The resulting musical finale will leave you breathless, emotionally drained, and begging for more. 

Though each track carries its own in terms of intensity and consistent delivery, “Ethereal” and “Myriad” stand-out the most in this album. Both tracks are so deeply drenched in emotion and energy in each verse, chug, and sustained note that they burn with the fueled intensity and drive of a kerosene-induced fire. 

Overall, Skeyes has crafted one of the most explosive and emotionally charged albums of this year. The vast amount of musicianship and energy that is poured into each meticulously crafted riff and verse burns so vibrantly and audibly that the resulting flames almost take on a tangible form. You will lose yourself in the charring beauty that lies within Skeyes' burning rage. Empty Mirrors is an unstoppable force that will consume you in its raging blaze of fiery licks and energetic breakdowns. Evacuation is futile; there is nowhere to run. Nothing can save you from being consumed by the inferno that is Skeyes’ Empty Mirrors.

9.2/10

For Fans Of: Erra, Northlane, Mureau

Katt Hass