This is easily one of my favorite releases this year. Between all three bands you're getting a pretty unique combination of post-hardcore styles, a nice chance of pace compared to all the Of Mice & Mens and Attack Attack!'s out in the scene right now.
As We Draw (who released an excellent full-length last year called Lines Break Circles follows up their last record with two songs, one that heavily explores a post-metal influenced route ("Fingers To Point") and the other which somewhat sticks to the sludgy, riff based post-hardcore of their debut ("Fingers To Stab"). Where the latter song is content on melting your face with angular, nonsensical riffing and unpredictable drum blasts, "Fingers To Point" (which is my favorite song on the album) is a bit more careully composed, featuring an epic build-up and a super melodic crescendo that is one of the most satisfying resolutions to a post-metal song I've ever heard.
The following two bands, Hexis and Euglena don't offer songs quite as good, but they still are two bands well worth keeping an eye on - Hexis plays a chaotic black metal influenced version of post-hardcore, pulverizing your soul with pummeling blast beasts, really excellent screeched vocals and a lo-fi production that helps tie the black metal elements with their more post-hardcore styled song structuring. Euglena is heavily influenced by sludge and in turn brings some really intense songs to the table; featuring droning guitars and great percussion (its sparsity and "restrained" playing style really helps accentuate the sheer heaviness of the music) Euglena throws in some really cool tempo changes and great, heavily distorted hardcore vocals that are abrasive as they are addicting..
Overall this split is one that is hard to describe; all three bands play post-hardcore derived music in such a distorted form that it's hard to make comparisons to other groups, but that is also where it succeeds - in playing post-hardcore that discards the rules, these three bands have created their own respective niches, a great means to start constructing winning careers around.
LIFE IS FINITE
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