Genre: Melodic Death Metal/Metalcore
Label: Unsigned
Date of Release: July 22, 2014
GRIT MEETS GRACE
Solo project Whose Hearts Were His formed early on in 2014 from Kansas City, Missouri, founded and headed by guitarist Gabe Fry (Solace And Stable, ex-From The Shallows). Although it released its first single "Tongues Like Knives" months earlier, its debut self-titled EP would be the true start of its discography.
I reviewed this project's first single some time ago, and a lot of the same can be said for this EP, right down to the potent musicianship. The aggressive vocal roars definitely click with the melodic but abrasive tone that this album is clearly headed for, and they have plenty of energy in them. Instrumentally, Gabe's guitar prowess shines through quite nicely with punchy melodies and complex riffs, while the drums match solidity with a technical edge for further intrigue. Overall, the instrumentation works really well.
Once again, the sound mixing, while rather decent, could use a bit of re-tooling. Even though the vocals and instruments sound clear and distinguishable for listeners to understand, they could use more atmosphere and resonance to absorb audience into its wake better. Instead, they sound a bit constricted and artificial, especially the percussion, which comes across as over-produced and air-tight. Bottom line, the mixing has the clarity down; it just needs more atmosphere to make the music sound more powerful.
On the bright side, however, the greatest thing to admire about this EP is its manner of fusing modern-style melodic metal with some unorthodox building. Aside from the untitled interlude, each song progresses and does something different with each passage while still remaining concise and emotionally flowing. The record's first single "Tongues Like Knives," for an example, glides between slower and faster paces smoothly and demonstrates some very good dynamic. Even the aforementioned interlude delivers with a haunting tone and serves well as a bridge between tracks. All things considered, the writing for this album is great.
As a full-fledged debut, this EP is a nice and sturdy foot forward. Like I said for its previous single, although the production is a tad distracting, the musicianship is solid and the writing is rather compelling as well. Although the release isn't one of the stronger ones to come out in recent months, it nonetheless has a lot of potential under its belt, and there is plenty to enjoy. Considering how it aims to combine energy with complexity, this is a band that you might want to keep your eyes peeled for.
Score: 7/10 (Solid)
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