Tailor made for the mosh pit, Brisbane melodic hardcore outfit Wildheart return with their third EP, ‘We Are’. A raucous follow up to 2016’s two-track release ‘Above/Below’, ‘We Are’ shows us in no uncertain terms that Wildheart are here to stay with their signature blend of brutal hardcore riffmaking and doom-inspired melodic undertones.
Make no mistake, this EP isn’t for everyone. Unforgiving and unrelenting, there’s very little room to breathe. Lacking the slower, cleaner moments of prior Wildheart releases, the tracks twist and turn down a frenetic, cacophonous road. The intensity of the tandem de-tuned guitars and double kicks is directed expertly by Wildheart’s leading man Axel Best, a vocalist who’d seem right at home in the darkest, dirtiest realms of Nordic black metal.
Whilst not without its faults, ‘We Are’ is an EP destined to tug at the heartstrings of dedicated hardcore fans, and will undoubtedly make its mark on Australia’s live metal scene in the months of touring to come.
Notable tracks: We Are, Solitide.
6.5/10
Review – Jeremy Bridie