ALBUM REVIEW: SOMA – Half Me
From Hamburg, Germany, we would like to introduce HALF ME and their much-anticipated debut album SOMA. The members came together in 2018, following the break-up of previous bands, and within two years they had already made an impact within the music scene that resulted in a collaboration with Jack Bergin of VOID OF VISION and spotlight on Knotfest’s Countdown To Oblivion. With all that hype, does their debut live up to anticipation? Hell yes it does!
HALF ME are not ones to take things easy as the entire record is filled with fantastic riffs, gnarly breakdowns and vocals that make you want to scream along. Wraith kicks things off immediately with the aforementioned loud instruments that take on a fantastic fusion of grunge and metal that give off SLIPKNOT vibes, yet HALF ME take it into a league all of their own. All tied together nicely with the use of clean vocals within the chorus and a dirty breakdown, we love it already.
It’s a fair statement that the song titles give an accurate preview of what’s to come on this album. Trauma Culture is a lovely fusion of KORN and SLIPKNOT influences, with the lyrics reflecting on the ideas of isolation following a traumatic event; Distort is an angry track that would fit in perfectly during a rave – imagine the absolute scenes; and Magma Hour expresses frustration at the greed within modern day capitalism.
Now, SOMA isn’t just a nu-metal album that sounds like the love child of Jonathan Davis and Corey Taylor. As the record progresses, HALF ME delve into modern rock/metal such as in the likes of Blacklight. It sounds heavily influenced by industrial rock and metalcore, like a fusion of MOTIONLESS IN WHITE, BEARTOOTH and BRING ME THE HORIZON. Pretty insane combination, right?
Another highlight on SOMA is the closing track that shares the same name as the band. It’s gentle in comparison to the rest of the record, but still a powerful track. It has similarities to ARCHITECTS during their For Those That Wish To Exist era. Whether you like that or not is up to you.
SOMA is a strong debut from a band unafraid to make a statement. Not once do HALF ME fail to deliver and each of their song titles gives an accurate statement as to what we are about to experience; this is an album filled with strong tracks crammed with dirty breakdowns that make you angry and want to scream along. We wouldn’t have it any other way.
Rating: 8/10
SOMA is out now via Arising Empire.
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