Out Now
Words by Jimmy Glinster
Priorities, never heard of ‘em? Neither have I, so don’t feel bad about it, you’re not the only one. Luckily for them though, the lovely Misha at Overdrive sent me over their tunes for review and I figured if they have her approval, they may just be lucky enough to get mine.
So, let’s give their 5-track EP Human After All a spin and see what they are all about. The intro to opening track Reflections reminds me of the opening track to the Blackout album by (Hed) PE with its stabbing guitars. It very quickly develops into something nothing like (Hed) PE though, even though it’s just as fucking bouncy and groovy. Big sound, big bounce and big choruses. It’s listed as Metalcore, but I’m not so sure, the riffs and bounce are a little bit too broken. Groovecore maybe, is that even a thing?
No Gods reminds me of a Paramore song until it gets deadly heavy. There is really no fucking around in this song as it out heavies itself at each turn. Even when the band slows down, the screams absolutely destroy any momentary softening of the track. Damn, those bouncing guitar riffs, just damn!
Like a headful of snakes, Medusa unleashes with full fury. Chugging guitars and solid drums push through ‘til the choruses, which slow down a little but increase in heaviness. The core side of the band pushes through a little more on this track to place them in the Metalcore hot seat as mentioned earlier. The heavy melodic vocals push it a little away from core at times, though, and closer to the Modern Metal realm. Ooft, that outro riff!
Lucky this album doesn’t have any of the high-pitched vocals that the last heavy metal opera album I reviewed did, so we haven’t yet had any broken glass. That’s what the next track is called, though, Broken Glass. This one is not quite as ferocious as the last couple, but again sits more to the hardcore side of things. The band never quite seems to slot in exactly anywhere though as moments of groove, punk, rock and even pop influences poke their head in and out.
Here we go, the final track. If I Believed is what it’s called and for a quick moment, I thought I might have been getting a ballad. Some heavy guitars drop in accompanied by those heavy ass screams and although this is a slower track, it’s certainly no ballad. And thank fuck for that, because I’ve had a ballad on every album lately, and there really is just no need for it … unless it’s a fucking good one! And although not a ballad, or a good ballad, it is a good track, a strong track. A heavy slow burner!
Well, as I said at the start, I had no idea who Priorities were, but I sure as hell do now. And although opinions are like assholes, and everyone’s got one, I’m also an asshole, an asshole that took notice. And this asshole thinks all you other assholes should stand up and take notice too!
Get your Priorities right, and get at it!
