Drawing a pair of core members from Toronto slam death metal band Brand of Sacrifice, Earthshatter offer up a bold and exciting piece of work in their debut EP, 1135. Opening with an intro track laden with glitchy and dissonant electronics, not unfamiliar perhaps to fans of Harm's Way or After the Burial, and record scratching that touches on a slight nü-metal motif that comes up here and there throughout the record, "O'Connor Drive" sets a tone for 1135 that resonates through its whole short-and-sweet 19-minute runtime.
Every song on this record hits hard and draws from a well-rounded pool of influences, ranging from Kyle Anderson's brutal deathcore high and low vocal performance to the soaring pop punk inspired choruses that bring to mind bands like Fall Out Boy, such as on the title track. The bouncing, danceable rhythmic verses follow a similar vein to the hardcore from bands like Kublai Khan or Knocked Loose, providing a dynamic, if at times a little bit jarring, juxtaposition to the fairly light and bright vocally driven choruses. This is particularly evident on the songs "Spit" and "Cheat Code."
This is a record that takes chances, from a few short rapping verses right into deathcore breakdowns that wouldn't be out of place on a Whitechapel album, 1135 is without a doubt a fun and unpredictable record that may prove to be a bold, but well-executed challenge to hardcore norms.
(Independent)Every song on this record hits hard and draws from a well-rounded pool of influences, ranging from Kyle Anderson's brutal deathcore high and low vocal performance to the soaring pop punk inspired choruses that bring to mind bands like Fall Out Boy, such as on the title track. The bouncing, danceable rhythmic verses follow a similar vein to the hardcore from bands like Kublai Khan or Knocked Loose, providing a dynamic, if at times a little bit jarring, juxtaposition to the fairly light and bright vocally driven choruses. This is particularly evident on the songs "Spit" and "Cheat Code."
This is a record that takes chances, from a few short rapping verses right into deathcore breakdowns that wouldn't be out of place on a Whitechapel album, 1135 is without a doubt a fun and unpredictable record that may prove to be a bold, but well-executed challenge to hardcore norms.