ALBUM REVIEW: Break The Cycle – GIANTS

British hardcore has been on a massive insurgence recently, with the charge being led by the likes of WHILE SHE SLEEPS, TRC and COUNTING DAYS. The scene is booming and with bands like HECK finally dropping their debut, it’s time for some fresh-faced new talent to come in and start stealing the limelight. Enter GIANTS, who are set to drop their debut Break The Cycle to the masses, and with an accessible sound that has just enough bite to make it interesting, the Essex local lad might be just what the genre is looking for.

Opener Underachievers serves as an ideal opening for the debut, allowing for the perfect encapsulation of their sound in a tight three-minute track. Their melodic hardcore sound clearly takes a lot of influence from acts like YOUR DEMISE as the meaty chords are played along with classic hardcore drum tracks, making up pretty much all of the bite that lurks within their sound. It’s always refreshing to hear hardcore bands not rely on breakdowns to find their aggression, something GIANTS are already proficient in. Sure, Eastbound ends its 90 second run time with a pit stirring drop, but moments like this are few and far between, making the drop hit that much harder.

There’s a genuine sense of urgency with this debut as well. It feels like GIANTS were prepared to make a statement with Break The Cycle and it shows through. Every line spat through gritted teeth is soaked in emotion and every riff is played with enough vigour to incite a riot in your bedroom. The album doesn’t mind throwing its weight around as it progresses, with the title track boasting a grooving riff that slams hard when it fully kicks in. Despite all of this, GIANTS do begin to fall into a rut of repetition, coming full circle with musical ideas used throughout by the end of the album. It is difficult to remain creatively unique throughout an entire album, but GIANTS would fair well with a few more creative song structures within the album, allowing for the wiggle room for other elements used throughout the album to fully flex and show off.

Retaining the punk attitude and with a strong melodic hardcore sound GIANTS have set themselves up wonderfully with Break The Cycle, displaying perfectly exactly what GIANTS do well across a cohesive and interesting full length. The bite is there, the speed also and it’s all topped with impassioned vocal deliveries and surprisingly catchy choruses. Whilst the album certainly fails to maintain the energy throughout the album, with repetition starting t rear its ugly head at the end of the album, for a debut this album definitely makes the statement GIANTS wanted it to make and it will undoubtedly push them to the forefront of the continuously growing hardcore scene.

Rating: 7/10

Break The Cycle is set for release on April 1st via Holy Roar Records.

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