If you’re looking for a new fix of rockin' and rollin' hardcore metal, this up-and-coming band may be just what you're looking for! This collection of talents came together in 2019 - from bands such as Outcry Collective, Polar and Hildamay - and have been infiltrating the underground scene since 2022. The band have cultivated a heavy style that's in the vein of Every Time I Die, Beartooth and Underoath, and hit similar lyrical themes too.
This EP covers a wide variety of concepts, from fighting your inner demons to the pressures of modern day life in an unforgiving society. The EP is comprised of 6 songs; the previously released 'To The Core', 'Under the Wire' and 'Two Of A Kind' to be accompanied by new songs 'Cut The Rope', 'Double Barrelled' and 'Which Way The Water Flows'.
The EP kicks off hard and heavy with 'Cut The Rope', one of the brand new tracks to come with this EP. It showcases the band's genre and energy with a building mesh of distorted guitars and booming drums. The lyrics, sung by Steve Sitkowski, explore the themes of living in a broken society and how common people can band together in tough times, injecting an encouraging message to fight for what you believe in.
The second song “To The Core” starts much faster, jumping straight into action, whilst the subject matter flips and becomes an homage to true rockstar tropes. As the chorus kicks in, an added layer of melodic harmonised vocals accompany the main raspy aggressive vocals, bringing a distinct difference to the last track. It's also worth noting an impressive scream from the main vocalist at around the two and a half minute mark, which is one of the stand out moments on the EP.
'Under The Wire' opens with an addictive guitar riff as well as bringing back the more melodic side of the band, which is then followed by a section that's not quite rap metal, truly showcasing the band's versatility just in the opening moments. The lyrics of this song discuss the personal demons that an individual might face, and the members have stated before how they'd like to help listeners expel their personal demons as they strive to do this themselves through songs just like this one.
Next on the roster is 'Double-Barrelled', which follows the themes of the last song but with a much more melodic chorus that's reminiscent of early Don Broco albeit with much more distorted instrumentals and an added layer of screaming that blend together very pleasantly. 'Two Of A Kind' opens differently to the rest of the EP, with a more melodic style of screaming in the verses rather than the chorus, like they've opted for in the other tracks. For the chorus, the song then breaks up the beat that's absolutely perfect for headbanging, and you can almost see how a live show would look going into that chorus.
The EP closes on the track 'Which Way The Water Flows', which certainly feels like it'll be the one with the most sticking power right now. The song comes in fast and heavy, then gradually builds into a chorus that will be stuck like glue in your head once you've finished listening, and you may even want to put it straight back on! Going into the chorus is an impressive drum fill from drummer Nick Jones, followed by a repeating phrase of guitar riffs leaving not an ounce of stillness in the instrumental. This chaos then slows down to a much calmer, borderline lo-fi guitar solo accompanied by synths for a slow outro to the EP.
State Of You are absolutely a band to keep a watchful eye on going into 2025, their rise into the scene has been anything but slow and we expect they'll continue this through the year! To accompany the release of this EP, State Of You will also be hosting a release party at The Black Heart in London on January 25th.
'On A Knife's Edge' will be released on January 24th via Silent Cult.
Words: Amy Smyth
Photos: State Of You
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