Here are my picks for the Top 10 EPs of 2017:
Advent – ‘Pain & Suffering’
“This EP proves that Advent is most definitely back in the game: pissed-off, angry, and as destructive as ever. It’s also safe to say that ‘Pain & Suffering’ does not re-invent the wheel for metallic hardcore, but realistically, it doesn’t have to. While it can feel slightly repetitive at times, especially from a structural standpoint, it’s clear that the band is most effective when they’re ruthlessly smashing the listener over the head with chunky riffs for 19 minutes, rather than blitzing right past them. Fans of the band’s previous full-lengths will definitely be stoked with these new tracks, at least as a tie-over until their next album (fingers crossed), even if nothing on offer here even comes close to the mighty ‘One Crushing Blow’. Christian hardcore’s most criminally underrated preachers are back at the pulpit, and the next sermon is sure to be a heavy one.” Read the full review here.
CrazyEightyEight – ‘No Words Spoken’
With the first release from his serious post-hardcore project CrazyEightyEight, YouTube sensation and scene parodist Jarrod Alonge can add gifted songwriter to his ever-growing repertoire of skills (e.g. sketch-comedy, regular vlogs and full-length albums performed by fictitious bands). Enlisting close friends (Red Handed Denial frontwoman Lauren Babic on vocals, Alonge on guitar and drum programming; alongside David Thompson of Nanashi on backing vocals, with Christopher Maynard and Dalton Stucker from metalcore outfit The Human Condition for backing drums and bass respectively) to help “indulge in… mid-2000s nostalgia and write some ignorant post-hardcore jams (with progressive metal elements),” the ‘No Words Spoken’ EP includes some of the most inventive and engaging post-hardcore tracks this side of 2010. Opener ‘Quid Pro Quo’ charges right out of the gate, with pounding drums, throttled guitar riffs, moody atmospherics and Babic’s soaring vocals. Single ‘Tommy’s Planet’ mixes a gigantic chorus with a thunderous breakdown, while ‘You Were Right’ and ‘Seven Six Two’ find Alonge and Babic playing with melody, dynamics and composition to achieve outside-the-box results. Oh, and the group also got together and dropped two additional Eps this year, with heavy cover renditions from diverse acts like My Chemical Romance, 30 Seconds To Mars, The 1979, Lorde, Paramore, The Killers and Slipknot. So, here’s to hoping they get cracking on that debut album in 2018. Stream the EP here.
Culture Killer – S/T
“If you’ve ever sat down and thought, ‘You know what, Nails and Code Orange are sick and all, but what I really need is something that’s nothing but ridiculous beat-downs, bad-ass pit-calls and guttural, mind-fuck vocals that sound like they spawned from Satan’s bowel, topped off with some sweet, sweet divebombs,’ then Culture Killer are guaranteed to have you beyond stoked with this EP. It’s undeniably violent, but more importantly, it’s also diabolically fun. It’s a fitting record for exterminating filth, and acts as the perfect ‘fuck you forever’ end note for Culture Killer. If you listen to any type of music that could be considered even remotely heavy, then do not sleep on this shit. Seek this record out; buy it, stream it, steal it—use whatever means necessary. Listen to it on repeat, destroy some shit, laugh maniacally whilst doing so, write down all the lyrics, hand deliver them to every single person you’ve ever truly loathed, and ‘May the bridges we burn light the way to hell.’” Read the full review here.
Cursed Earth – ‘Cycles of Grief: Growth & Decay’
“Continuing their two-part ‘Cycles of Grief’ EP concept, metallic hardcore crew Cursed Earth hurtle recklessly forward across six new tracks. Where the album artwork for August’s ‘Volume 1: Growth’ was adorned with a black and white rose, hinting at symbolism as far-stretched as memoriam, death, and the futility of continual persistence, ‘Volume 2: Decay’ goes straight for the gut: a shell-shocked figure, their head in their hands, down in a deep, dark hole of their own digging… Taking both EPs together as a cohesive concept (which is kind of the point, otherwise, why have volumes in the first place?), ‘Cycles of Grief’ is a haunting, bleak and uncompromisingly heavy experience. ‘Volume 1: Growth’ successfully documented our innate struggle to survive as flawed human beings, while ‘Volume 2: Decay’ resigns us to our unavoidable defeat. And as they say, ‘inevitably, the cycle continues.’” Read the full review here.
Dear Seattle – S/T
There’s a line from ‘The Meadows’ on Dear Seattle’s self-titled EP that perfectly encapsulates my feelings on this year: “Fuck being sad/I’m so over it.” Suffice to say, my 2017 was really shitty. Relationship failures, crushing self-doubt, family health scares—and that’s just a taste of the mountain of personal bullshit I had to climb. Thankfully, Dear Seattle’s refreshing take on neo-grunge, with what’s becoming an all-too-familiar Australiana flair, was just the thing I needed to push through my existential malaise. Standout cuts like ‘The Things You Do’ and ‘Cut You Deep’ showcased a drastic leap in songwriting for the young Sydney four-piece, with a sound that perfectly splices the Violent Soho alt-rock/grunge combo with heartfelt lyricism of the Smith Street Band variety. Oh, and did I mention the choruses? Pretty much every single one here is a dead-set banger and will get stuck in your head for weeks. Not everyone has their life figured out – especially in their 20’s – and Dear Seattle are here to tell you that that’s ok. As vocalist/rhythm guitarist Brae Fisher belts out on the poignant closer ‘Afterthought’: “I’m wasting time and I’m heading nowhere/Hope tells me that I’m getting somewhere soon.” Stream the EP here.
END – ‘From The Unforgiving Arms of God’
If there’s one dirty word in the current alternative music climate, it’s ‘supergroup’. With every man and his dog/band putting together a ring-in ensemble of mates and tangential, like-minded peers, 2017 brought us some incredibly underwhelming efforts to bear this moniker (*cough* ‘Echolocation’ *cough* ‘Prophets of Rage’ *cough*). And while the supergroup is hardly a new cross-promotional, career reviving tool, there was one release which managed to buck this trend and restore my faith in ‘greater-than-the-sum-of-their-parts’ musical efforts: ‘From The Unforgiving Arms of God’ by END. With a line-up that boasts a literal who’s-who of current and former hardcore/metalcore stalwarts (Counterparts frontman Brendan Murphy on vocals, Fit For An Autopsy mastermind/renowned producer Will Putney and ex-Misery Signals member Greg Thomas on guitar, Jay Pepito from Reign Supreme/ex-Blacklisted on bass duties, and Structures/Trade Wind drummer Andrew McEnaney handling percussion), and a sound that closely adheres to the template of late 90s/early 00s metalcore (think Disembodied, Martyr A.D., Turmoil, Morning Again etc.), END are the perfect anti-dote to shitty supergroups. Across six crushing tracks, ‘From The Unforgiving Arms of God’ gets in and out with absolutely zero fucking around. Heavy is as heavy does. Stream the EP here.
The Midnight – ‘Nocturnal’
Synthwave continues to go from strength to strength as a genre, and while I’m certainly open to new albums and takes on the Top Gun-aping, neon-soaked sound and aesthetic, nothing has even come close to rivalling Gunship’s spectacular 2015 debut LP for me, in terms of song-writing, production and execution. But if I’m being generous, The Midnight’s ‘Nocturnal’ comes damn close. There’s just something about what the duo of Tyler Lyle and Tim McEwan have crafted on this release, with booming drums, chilled vibes, warbling synths and just a dash of sexy sax, that makes for a well-rounded and captivating listening experience. With The Midnight already garnering a reputation for fantastic guest appearances, ‘Nocturnal’ takes it to the next level with vocalist Nikki Flores adding her deft, sultry touch to the sparkling ‘Light Years,’ while fellow synthwave act Timecop1983 (Dutch musician Jordy Leenaerts) helps push ‘River of Darkness’ to glorious new heights. As the title and cover art suggests, ‘Nocturnal’ is perfect for late-night drives and steering wheel sing-a-longs. Stream the EP here.
Satan’s Hallow – S/T
Again, technically not an EP, but this one was a surprise hit for me (especially given my lack of knowledge/care factor for NWoBHM outfits), but the talent here is undeniable. Chicago five-piece Satan’s Hallow take the retro, 80’s heavy metal sound and give it fresh coat of black denim on their debut, with rollicking cuts like ‘Hot Passion,’ ‘The Horror’ and up-tempo opener ‘Reaching For The Night’. Front-woman Mandy Martillo has an indominable set of pipes, lending soaring vocals to the flashy solos and wailing melodies from guitarists Von Jugel and Steve ‘Lethal’ Beaudette, which are guaranteed to get blood pumping for fans of Iron Maiden, Judas Priest and Manowar. The riffs are hook-laden and electric, Mantillo’s vocals expertly flirt with the devilish and melancholy, and the nine tracks on offer here will blitz past you without any lingering feelings of want or disappointment. It’s world-class heavy metal, and if the Gods are just, evidence of bigger things to come for Satan’s Hallow. Stream the EP here.
Time Walk – ‘Beyond Eternity’s Grasp’
I checked this EP out based on a recommendation from The Black Dahlia Murder vocalist Trevor Strnad, in an interview we did together back in April. Suffice to say, he was right, because this thing fucking rips. I’ll let Strnad’s words from his column as The Obituarist over at Metal Injection do the persuading: “Time Walk out of Missouri play the most crucial mishmash of styles and the result is an unhealthy kind of addictive… ‘Beyond Eternity’s Grasp’ is another one of those OSDM meets hardcore scenarios but I swear it’s not what you’re expecting. This time were talking a knock out combo of later Bolt Thrower married with Hatebreed. I shit you not. It’s not only possible, but it really works! I would say the ratio is like 85 percent metallic BT to 15 percent Hatebreed. Maybe some Merauder in there somewhere. Perhaps that’s where we’ve gotten the Samurai dude on the front. The Hatebreed touches recall their most brutal days, taking me back to scooping Under The Knife up on seven inch from the skateboard shop when I was young. Like Jasta on Under The Knife, this dude sounds like he is hungover as fuck and will decimate you if you don’t shut the fuck up so he can nap. The guitar tone is fucking godly and metallic as shit and the guitar players are obviously very talented guys. There are a lot of straight up death metal bands that would kill for some of these riffs. Jesus Christ! The production is all around perfect for what it is… Time Walk has my vouch in every conceivable way… I’m ready to crip walk through time and space with them and you should be too.” Stream the EP here.
Vein – ‘Self Destruct’
This one is also ‘technically’ cheating, as this particular release came out in the form of a split with Richmond, Virginia wrecking crew .Gif From God on December 31st, 2016. However, I’ll just chalk that up to a Southern hemisphere, time-difference thing and sweep it in here as a 2017 release (made valid with the Closed Casket Activities EP release in August). Hailing from Boston, Massachusetts, Vein are one of the worst-kept secrets of the East Coast hardcore underground, gathering a reputation for using both their sound and live show as a form of incendiary device. Listening to blistering cuts like ‘A Crumpled Memo’ and ‘Progenitor’ feels somewhat akin to an auditory nightmare, like waking suddenly to the sound of your own home invasion, as a ring of masked strangers stand over you with boom-boxes, blaring ‘Jane Doe’ and ‘Calculating Infinity’ and ‘Life Is Peachy’ simultaneously, and at an ear-splitting volume. ‘Self-Destruct’ packs four tracks in to five explosive minutes and finds Vein at their most relentless and abrasive; the musical equivalent of bleach and lye; the caustic product of a hate-filled union between amps and wilful intent. As one fan put it on Bandcamp: “The lyrics read like a suicide note and the music sounds like a homicide. Utter chaos in the best possible way.” Stream the EP here.