There are a lot of (post-/melodic-) hardcore bands doing the rounds at the moment, and Hiraeth are one of them. Brought to my attention recently, I got a copy of their debut EP and have been giving it a bit of a spin over the last week or so.
Now I do find that bands of this genre can be a bit hit and miss, and a lot of them just sound the bloody same. It takes something special to stand out of any musical crowd these days… but I think Hiraeth may just have that little something. I can’t quite pinpoint what it is, but after an initial couple of “yeah, this is OK” listens I’ve quite warmed to The World Ends With You. It may be the melodic overtones, I’m not sure but it’s a decent collection of tunes.
The one thing all four tracks definitely have in common is brutality. No messing from start to finish. “Words To Echo” has perhaps the “cleanest” style of the songs with a fairly relaxed intro before the throaty vocals kick in. Even when its laid back, it’s harsh. “Barely Breathing” features a guest appearance from Clockwork’s William Alex Young and is pretty relentless.
“Beside Me” is my pick of the bunch and I think it’s because it sounds more like a metal song than the rest of the album, in particular a really good into. The rhythm guitars throughout suit the song to a tee, as well.
“Walkers” verges into death metal territory with some deeper, growlier vocals in places and rounds off the EP nicely.
This is music best listened to with the bass tweaked up and a decent pair of headphones or speakers. The twanging of the bass keeps everything in time, and the drums really pound. Guitars are often weaving around each other in the background and they deserve to be heard nice and clearly.
The World Ends With You comes out on September 29th and it can be pre-ordered via the band’s online store.
Hiraeth: facebook | twitter | youtube | bigcartel
