Coarse

I

BY Connor AtkinsonPublished Jul 31, 2018

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Coarse is the new venture of ex-Old Wounds drummer Brandon Gallagher and former Capsize guitarist Ryan Knowles. A press release quotes Gallagher saying that the undertaking was "fuelled by being surrounded by the uninspired," and while it certainly steers away from the pair's recent Warped Tour audiences, many will be hard-pressed to find anything objectively bad or new about Coarse's debut EP I.
 
"In Peril" generously puts Knowles and Gallagher's unique chemistry on display, and it remains endearing even when blanketed by screeching panic chords and pummeling blast beats. The electronic elements of "Separation is Survival" create a twitching but tempting interlude for I, while "Hoax" showcases the Coarse vision best as a sum of all parts: the harshest bits of the last Capsize record; the speediest parts of early Old Wounds; curated with a worshipping stance towards Dead Guy, Buried Alive and Some Girls.
 
Opening track "Shed" never quite changes pace or welcomes new dynamics outside of Botch-lite, which will leave one feeling thirsty for something beyond the song's compressed drum tones. Thankfully it is only an introduction, and cuts "No Heart" and "Only Death" offer zealous tempos and melodic guitar licks that create an engaging and dim contrast throughout I.
(Zegema Beach)

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