EP REVIEW: A Bud That Never Blooms – Gore.

Life can take you in multiple directions. When self-taught vocalist Hayley Roughton went to college, she wanted to study music. But her family pushed her to find a career with more stability, so she ended up doing an electrical engineering course and she got a job at a major scientific organisation. She credits her engineering career with giving her the work ethic, organisation, and management to help her with GORE., the Texas-based metal trio, comprising of vocalist Roughton, guitarist Alex Reyes and bassist Devin Birchfield. They formed in 2023, and their two singles that they released on YouTube saw a rapid response from new fans who loved the band’s sound and vulnerable lyrics.

This is the foundation for the band’s debut EP, A Bud That Never Blooms, a vicious five song EP that is unrelenting throughout its runtime. Opening song Pray showcases Roughton‘s harsh screams during the verses and beautiful singing voice during the choruses. The instruments are heavy and the outro of the song is one of the heaviest moments on the EP.

Whilst Doomsday is a mellower song, showing a softer side to the band, it is appropriate due to the subject matter of a corrupt system. Furthermore, the final minute brings back the heaviness of the first song. Babylon is structured similarly to Pray with a mixture of singing and screams, but it also adds some synths into the mix. There has been a rise in songs centred around female positivity in metal, which is fantastic, but on Babylon, Roughton explores the desire to get married and have children, whilst acknowledging that as time has gone on, that dream has looked less likely due to women not having forever to make that decision.

Synths are explored more in Angels Like You, which is a synth-rock song that includes some metal influences as well. Closing song Heaven Is Above Me continues the synth-rock-metal sound, yet it doesn’t sound like a repeat of the previous songs. This is thanks to the production on the EP, which allows each song to stand out on its own and individually. For example, there are gospel choir-esque vocals in Heaven Is Above Me are not on any other song, yet they do not sound out of place on the EP. Furthermore, by having all the songs build upon each other, such as slowly introducing the the synths throughout the final three songs, it helps the EP sound cohesive.

In conclusion, A Bud That Never Blooms is a fantastic debut by GORE.. The band know what their sound is and they have created a coherent, fun, and diverse EP to prove it Although it might seem to be a gamble to switch genres on a debut, GORE. do it by slowly introducing them throughout the songs. The production of the EP helps as well by making sure the vocals are not overwhelmed by the instruments or vice versa. The songs are lyrically brilliant as well. It is rare that a band get it right with their debut, but not this trio. With A Bud That Never Blooms, GORE. have proven that they are a name to watch.

Rating: 8/10

A Bud That Never Blooms is out now via Spinefarm Records. 

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