Music Existence Because of Music, We Exist
For their debut EP The New Era, Liverpool metalcore act From Inside have combined a unique mix of metal and electronic music that allows them to fit in with their respective genre. When a band is looking to make a name for themselves in the metalcore scene, it can be particularly tricky at this moment given the abundance of artists involved in the genre. By being part of such a crowded field, From Inside will need to create a distinct sound that will set themselves apart from other bands if they hope to stand out.
The New Era opens with “Still Breathing,” which immediately draws to comparison to Bring Me the Horizon’s Sempiternal thanks to its blend of metal and electronic instrumentation. The electronic background gives the track a hazy, dark tone which then leads to an impressive breakdown that showcases how tight the band can perform together. With a chaotic rhythm section and heavy riffs, “Still Breathing” proves that From Inside are familiar with their genre and are more than capable of constructing it to a tee. Track two, “Be Yourself,” follows a similar formula to the prior song, though this time it is more reminiscent of the likes of The Devil Wears Prada. The track features a solid hook that is further strengthened by the appropriate distribution of clean and screamed vocals. Both vocalists perform well and the track switches back and forth between them enough in order to keep the sound from getting stale.
The band are able to get even more comfortable in their groove by track three, “Find My Way” which again draws inspiration from Sempiternal. This track is constructed in the same pattern as the first half of the EP, though it stands out due to the performances from each band member being at their strongest. As mentioned before, the band performs with a tight sound that doesn’t feel rough around the edges. This style is a necessity for metalcore music so the fact that From Inside already prove that they can pull it off greatly shows the amount of potential that they possess. This trend unfortunately doesn’t quite carry over into track four, “Two Sides of Me.” In this track, the screamed vocals come across as a bit too hectic and they don’t quite fit together with the clean singing or occasional piano that is featured in the backing instrumentals. This multifaceted track feels inconsistent due to its scattered organization and seems less sharp compared to the other songs thus far. However, track five, “There Was a Time,” picks up the pace again and offers a different construction than what we’ve already seen. It’s here that the band seems to have strayed away from the previous structure that they’ve followed so far and began to hash out their own style. With a soft opening that resembles a lullaby, “There was a Time” takes its time to build itself up and this ultimately creates a colossal piece of metal that shows how harsh this band can be when they allow themselves to let their creativity flourish.
The main setback that this EP suffers is that it seems to fit in slightly too well with the current metalcore genre, meaning that there isn’t much to make the band stand out from other acts. From Inside structure their songs in a familiar metalcore style, consisting of pounding guitar riffs, harsh growls during the buildup, and clean vocals for the chorus. While it’s not a glaring flaw for the band as of now, it would be interesting to see them step farther out of their comfort zones and develop a sound that is solely unique to them.
While it is definitely on the safe side, The New Era is still an enjoyable metalcore experience. From Inside clearly know what they’re doing and they put on some pretty fantastic performances throughout this EP. For a debut, this is an impressive accomplishment. Now that the band has garnered some attention with this project and its singles, hopefully they can branch out more with their sound by adding in their own characteristics to the metalcore genre, which will ultimately cement them as an original act to watch.
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