EP REVIEW: Apotheosis – Sobriquet
Sheffield’s SOBRIQUET are definitely onto something. Like a lot of great bands you could throw somewhere under the ever-widening post-hardcore umbrella, they’re pretty hard to pigeonhole, with a relatively unique sound that’s proof if nothing else of just how vague that entire genre tag can be. All this as well from a band with just a couple of EPs to their name so far. Apotheosis is the third and latest addition to their oeuvre, one that sees the five-piece seeking to build momentum as they continue to develop a decent identity for themselves.
Admittedly, there isn’t loads on Apotheosis that feels entirely unfamiliar. SOBRIQUET may have pieced together quite a distinctive overall sound, especially for a relatively young band, but most of the building blocks they use seem to have been hewn from established sources. There’s definitely something of the gripping savagery you get from the likes of ITHACA and ROLO TOMASSI, to name a couple of stellar recent examples, but there are also hints of the more alt-rock-tinged anthemia of earlier BIFFY CLYRO, the proggy theatrics of COHEED AND CAMBRIA, and even some of the angular edges of a band like AT THE DRIVE-IN, for example. Of course, all those are great starting points, so perhaps the central question here is how well do the band manage to tie them all together?
Fortunately, they mostly seem to nail it. Apotheosis rarely feels stitched together like some kind of post-hardcore Frankenstein’s monster, but rather sees SOBRIQUET pull what can seem like quite varied elements into a generally convincing whole. It starts brilliantly with the opening pairing of Death Of The Author and Grief Seed, both of which boast some particularly memorable melodic choruses in amongst more raging riffs and chugging metalcore breakdowns. It all sounds suitably massive too, as indeed you would expect from the seasoned hands of producer Lewis Johns. He definitely brings the best out of the band, lending them a polished and expansive sound but without neutering their ability to hit more viscerally when they need to.
The quality holds pretty steady from there, with fourth track The Dark, The Light, The Void breaking up some of the EP’s more incendiary fare with a well-timed and contemplative instrumental interlude. Closer The Tower stands out too, this one kicking off with a stabby manic fury before evolving into one of the record’s most dynamic and impactful cuts. Vocalist Ludovico Fahey shines here – as he often does – with an impressively versatile delivery that ranges from scorching harsh vocals to more ethereal and emotional cleans that ask “Who will be there to witness me?” as the track draws to a reflective close.
That closing lyric also points to something of the overall theme of Apotheosis, in which the band follow a protagonist’s journey through self-discovery, doubt, despair, and eventually self-love and enlightenment. It’s potentially a little vague, and could definitely go over listeners heads as they get caught up in the general flow of the music, but there are also a few lines that really stick. The venomous “I hope the bones you leave behind are never found” in the aforementioned Grief Seed is a prime example, as is the more defeated mantra of “I have nothing left to give” in Heliotrope which follows.
Overall then, Apotheosis is another immensely promising release from SOBRIQUET. These six tracks make for a varied yet cohesive 20 minutes in which pretty much everything sticks, whether that’s a big riff or an even bigger melody. Given the care and attention to detail the band have already paid to their sound and identity – they threw out an entire EP’s worth of material before writing this one – we can only presume that even better things will come as they continue to grow in craft and confidence.
Rating: 7/10
Apotheosis is set for release on September 2nd via self-release.
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