Set Before Us and The ‘Enigmas’ EP.
Set Before Us – Stockholm, Sweden.
As you pick your way through the back catalogue of this Stockholm Metalcore five-piece, you hear a band whose sound was very much theorised and then put into practise. Over two singles and two EPs the band have taken a basic Metalcore foundation and rather than the follow the path of only becoming increasingly melodic, for the most part have taken a differing path in favour of a far heavier, darker and viscerally aggressive Tech-Metal sound.
Enigmas is the the most recent release from Set Before Us and see’s a band “turning it all up to eleven” to use the old cliche. The band have taken every aspect of their sound, honed it, strengthened it and left it on a course of steroids.
One of the initial strengths of Set Before Us and one of the first things you really notice are the lyrics. ‘Clay Heart’ dissects the meaning of our existence and challenges your very thoughts on the matter. Musically the track looms over you as crescendo intro whirls lightly over-head before the heavier end of the genre takes charges with thudding and abrasive riffage and melodic overlays to guide the point home.
‘Clay Heart’ is still very much what you’d expect of the genre but eludes to an EP that will look to heavier means of expression. ‘Earth Destroyer’ begins to lean more to the aforementioned heavier and more technical sound. The melodic elements of Metalcore are present but rather than in the long drawn out Emo chorus’s or quick-fire verses, mild rather than overt clean vocals and guitar lines create a balanced contrast.
Said melodic elements and a tendency to employ Post-Hardcore stylistics put the token melodic spin on the bands Metalcore that marks it as different enough in that respect. These stylistics also allow the band to for the most part avoid the repetition the genre is known for.
With ‘Eye To Eye’ the band take this apparent maturity further into a track where the anthemic nature of the guitars stand it as one of the strongest and indeed one of the high points of the EP. Set Before Us have found the balance between the aggression they cathartically release and the emotion they can’t help but show when trying to get you to understand.
‘Dusk/Dawn’ follows this similar pattern and sees the band at their most melodic in the early stages of the song where you feel somewhat of an anti-climax in this final track.
That is until the half way point however, where Set Before Us classically go out the way they came in, on the back of a haunting guitar tone and deep thudding riffage.
Enigmas overall boasts a departure from your run-of-the-mill Metalcore and in many ways delivers. The sound is more mature, the token melodic elements are comparatively mature and the infusions of a harder more Tech-Metal sound are welcome but there is still certainly room to grow and mild repetition to avoid.
Set Before Us have honed their sound and should arguably set this current state as their new foundation as with Enigmas they really do have everything they need for now.
Find the band below:
- Social Media/Updates: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram.
- Music: Spotify, iTunes/Apple Music, Google Play, Youtube Channel, bandcamp.
#StayFresh
