This EP from Perth’s Pincer+ is the follow-up to the previous volume “Violence”. There’s six tracks mainly of metalcore akin to labelmates Alpha Wolf or Make Them Suffer.
There is some variety along the six tracks, “Closer to God” giving a Deftones atmospheric vibe with guitarist Josh Ang adding backing vocals to his various talents. Ang is a busy man, taking care of production etc.
The early tracks take a sample with some connection to heartbreak, lost loves and similar themes. These issues powered the “Violence” recording and according to the band the new release is about not making those same mistakes again.
“Self Received Halo” and “Romance (I Don’t Want to See Anymore) are bouncy guitar-powered tracks that need no sample to introduce themselves. Precise, speedy drum work from Jack Nelson keeps the pace across these tracks. There are some big breakdowns along the way to keep fans entertained.
The lyrical themes across both releases look to follow the path of heartbreak into looking deeper into the concept of religious beliefs and searching for answers across multiple deities and maybe not being satisfied with the answers that are there.
Many of the band’s promo photos are near churches or wearing cross necklaces and other religious paraphernalia but by the sounds of things their journey is ongoing and that anger and disappointment along the way seeps into the lyrics and sounds of the band.
The final track is a rap outro featuring Apex Afi. For me, it didn’t flow with the remainder of the album, with the tracks trying to smash your face in before coming to the slow-paced final song.
Pincer+: Facebook
Release Year: 2023
Label: Greyscale Records
Category: EP
Country: Australia
Reviewed by Daniel Boyle
