I caught RUN a couple of times on their recent tour with Svalbard. In that review I said their live show could hold a candle to many international acts. They’ve backed that up with an excellent recording, their second EP, True Heaviness is Time.
Hearing the songs live, I was reminded of Poison The Well’s You Come Before You, which is a personal favourite. In a similar fashion to that album, there are many layers to the music creating a world in each song. These layers are added to the fantastic visuals on the cover, with a lunar type landscape almost popping out of a sundial.
The title track opens up the recording, slowly building with some quiet notes before offering a barrage of riffs, chugging along until frontman Lochlan Watt screams out “True Heaviness is Time”, followed by another full band assault. Having come through a battle with brain cancer, Watt has become an expert in the areas of true heaviness.
The next four tracks each take a name from one of the seasons. Guest stars are aplenty, with Joel Birch (The Amity Affliction) going tag team with Watt on the screams in “Spring”. Trophy Eyes frontman John Floreani provides clean vocals for Summer and Sophie Jest from Melbourne punks R.U.B gives both the punk screech as well as the female vocals in “Winter”.
These guests increase the variety of sounds within the recording. With Watt as the host of Triple J’s The Racket metal program and his involvement in various elements of the music industry, he has a host of options to ask to join in and each guest has added an interesting element to the recording.
“Autumn” has no guests, but is probably the heaviest of the tracks. Moving on from the debut EP You Will Never Find Peace Within Your Quiet, the band has had some lineup changes and provides a more direct metalcore sound. The earlier works had a bit more blackened influence.
The band was able to record the music themselves, thanks to Lewis Noke-Edwards before handing off to Forrester Savell for production duties. His previous works include bands like Karnivool, Sunk Loto and The Butterfly Effect. He seems to have weaved his magic here, making the tracks sound massive.
“Winter” provides the blast beats to keep the listener warm through the dark feelings, with Watt shouting “Forgive me, for what I have done”. Sophie Jest, who made her appearance live on stage in Melbourne provides contrast through the song, with the line “I can see the stars from here” guaranteed to be stuck in the listener’s mind after a listen. Having had a run supporting The Amity Affliction at their regional dates earlier in the year, the band should have an increased following, and this song should get crowds moving. It also has an epic music video, filmed in the Melbourne Observatory.
The EP closes with “One Way Out” including a bit of cinema content, as has been the case in so many Australian hardcore releases over the years.
With three of the songs already released, the EP announcement was a surprise to many. Hopefully, any future album will take another step up from this excellent recording. As they shout in “Spring” – “Let your future be vibrant, allow your past and present too.”
This is an excellent piece of Australian heavy music. The band will be launching the album on July 6 at Melbourne’s Evelyn Hotel with a few shows in various Australian cities following that, make sure to check them out. There will also be a limited pressing of both EPs on one record thanks to Stiff Cut Records.
RUN: Facebook
Release Year: 2024
Label: self-release
Category: EP
Country: Australia
Reviewed by Daniel Boyle
