Tech-influenced metalcore has to be a good thing as long as it’s done right, right? Well Oxford/Southampton based Perception have 5 songs here that would suggest, in no uncertain terms, that a resounding YES is the answer for this, their second EP.
Opener ‘Strive’ with its backing track intro explodes off the mark with the angry growls of Ben relentlessly leading the way. Where the song really succeeds is how it drops from dark to light musically seamlessly.
New single ‘Defy Dismay’ will surely be the song to open the pit up live with an almost punk drum line before venturing into djent territory. At its most vitriolic there will be some serious necks cracked to this song live, but it’s still tempered with the right amount of djent or prog mellow sections to keep it interesting.
‘Survive’ opens with some clean vocals from bassist Al before Ben kicks back in over the top & the guitar of Paddy takes us down djent street once again. The dual vocals on this song work perfectly & are possibly under used across the EP.
‘Monolith’ is as huge as its title would suggest.
EP closer – ‘Closure’ – elevates this release for me. As a piece of music it’s haunting, but when you add Ben’s vocal line over the top it becomes a masterpiece for me. Almost all acoustic & an utter rollercoaster of an almost ballad. When it heavies-up towards the end it keeps the raw emotion going as well. What a way to end the EP.
If you like music that dips in the heavier, more modern & exciting new genres then buy this now (they have some very cool pre-orders going on). What ‘Monolith’ shows is a young band punching way above their weight in song structure, delivery & production – surely on for a bright future.
8.5/10
Review by Phil B
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