EP REVIEW: 2300 – Split

SPLIT vocalist Benjamin Jeppesen began his musical career as a teenager in New York City. By joining the band THE DEAD ARE LIVING as a guitarist, he honed his guitar skills. He also shared stages with bands such as I SEE STARS and EYES SET TO KILL by the age of 14. His early exposure to the music scene fuelled a lifelong passion for hardcore music. In 2024, SPLIT formed. With a mission to not only bring hardcore to new audiences, but also to push the boundaries of the genre, the quintet are here to introduce themselves with their debut EP, 2300.

Across five songs, the band don’t hold back. Broken opens with a synth-hardcore introduction before launching into a brutal assault of the senses, blending gang vocals, screams, and singing backed by the same synth-hardcore beat that effortlessly blends the two elements. The King Is Back continues the formula, but it is distinctive from the opening song, as the electronic elements are turned up further, creating a bulldozing backing track that sometimes overshadows the vocals.

This unfortunately continues in Cold Heart. However, the singing and the guest feature by Danish trap metal band DETHRXNER helps to smooth things out as the song progresses. Furthermore, Guts leans heavily into hardcore, showing some versatility and desire to shift between the two worlds. Closing song Stronger Than Ever continues the band leaning more into traditional hardcore, with a feature from Danish hardcore band LIFESICK to keep things interesting. It’s a fast-paced ending that leaves the door open for what SPLIT can do in the future.

Sonically, 2300 is a diverse EP that shows off what the band can do, whilst also not revealing all their cards. By blending synth and electronic music with hardcore, before transitioning into more traditional hardcore, SPLIT show just how they’re looking to shake things up. Overall, SPLIT have smashed their way into the hardcore scene and 2300 is a debut that makes its mark. Although a couple of the songs play it safe, the band still are in the early days of their career. Their blend of hardcore and electronic music is exciting, but they also allow themselves to fully embrace hardcore. What 2300 does so well is establishing the band’s sound whilst also leaving the door open for the future. It’s very hard to get that balance, but thankfully SPLIT manage to mostly strike it.

Rating: 7/10

2300 is out now via Prime Collective.

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