Earlier this year, the prolific Australian label Grazil Records released “The Cost Of Holding On,” a debut 12″ EP by Tired. Originating from Graz, this quintet embraces all the vital qualities of several underground music genres to depict rich and luxurious sonic imagery. Perhaps hardcore punk comes to mind first, but you’ll notice some other similar styles like dark hardcore, blackened crust, and neo-crust lurking around. Of course, there are vividly hearable touches of black metal, post-metal, and stoner, just enough to spice things up and uplift this epic sonic journey on an entirely new level. With a comprehensive collection of musical styles like these, Tired constructs a profoundly intricate backdrop where every vocal, sonic, and rhythmic maneuver shines bright in the limelight.
These folks are not joking around with their music, and that’s more than evident as soon as you press play. Each composition arrives with a perfect structure garnered with complex segments, brilliant ideas, and flawless instrumentations. They put a lot of effort, heart, and soul into these songs, resulting in a masterful sonic display proving there are still bands that can deliver some fresh tunes to the table. The excellent vocal performance is based upon shouts, screams, and semi-growls slaps directly in the face. These vocal maneuvers command attention and guide the listening apparatus while simultaneously emphasizing all the segments and orchestrations. In the meantime, the interplays between rhythm and lead guitars shape an adequate backdrop for all the vocal articulations to shine upon. You’ll notice how heavy and powerful riffs resonate on one side while the other delivers darkened melodies, harmonies, themes, leads, and other sonic acrobatics. The band fully stacked the entire material with some of the best guitar shreds and riffs you’ll hear in a very long time.
Like the guitars, the rhythm section also plays a significant role in this sonic equation. These tracks come with tremendous power thanks to intricate, audible, warm-sounding basslines that bind all the instrumentation with drums. The highly skilled drummer keeps everything in line and dictates groove and pace with an entire palette constructed of tastefully assembled, flawlessly performed, well-accentuated, dynamic beats, breaks, fills, and other percussive acrobatics. Everything sounds superb from scratch to finish, so a pleasant listening experience is more than guaranteed. Tracks like “Eroded Morals,” “Everything’s Political,” “Homebound,” and “True Prosperity” are standouts, but you should pay equal attention to the entire material, because Tired created a hardcore punk masterpiece. It’s one of the best darkened hardcore releases you’ll hear this year thanks to all the brilliant ideas and super instrumentation involved. The band undoubtedly put heart and soul into it, resulting in a six-track sonic assault you surely don’t want to miss. “The Cost Of Holding On” arrives in splatter and black vinyl variants, compact disc, and digital. Pick your favorite format and play it loud. Head to Grazil Records for more information about ordering.
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