EP REVIEW: Courage Is Born From Fear – April 21st
There is something revolutionary about living with mental health issues. Revolting against the shadows of the mind to gain independence. Staging their own coup, metalcore outfit APRIL 21ST release their new EP Courage Is Born From Fear on September 10th.
Naming themselves after the Brazilian national holiday Tiradentes Day, APRIL 21ST seek to make the same impact as the revolutionary the day is named after. Where Tiradentes became a martyr during the battle for Brazil’s independence from Portugal, APRIL 21ST’s martyrdom isn’t quite so celebratory. Over the five track EP, we see APRIL 21ST wanting to push the envelope of metalcore. Yet, with their dominant guttural growls lacking the charm of the genre without replacing it with another, they fall short of the mark. With this in mind, there are many more aspects which make Courage Is Born From Fear a decent listen.
Staying true to the partial proverb for April Showers, Before The Storm is an instrumental homage to the atmospheric. Swelling static lends itself to a dense storm soundscape. Building like a collection of dark clouds, the picked melody rests upon a pulsating thunderclap. This exercise in song composition shows this band has what it takes to construct a solid effort.
From here, APRIL 21ST drag us into their vortex of self-reflection and the struggle to be better. Bass-laden riffs churn beneath brilliantly technical guitars for Stand Up And Scream. This anthem of assertion against your own mind shows a prowess to APRIL 21ST that has great potential. The song’s predecessor Struggling To Break The Cycle may have lacked juice with the vocal delivery, but layered vocals and diversity within the track’s clean choruses quickly rectify that. This said, Struggling To Break The Cycle isn’t a complete misstep. Bass licks dance in the bottom end of the track, adding incredible depth to the already thick instrumentals.
As is true with all lessons in life, we move in cycles. The circle of life, as Carmen Twillie and Lebo M taught us as children, can repeat for entire lifetimes. In their own cycle, APRIL 21ST cast themselves on the uphill with the second half of the EP. The frantic, growl driven energy to Heal My Wounds sees a person pick themselves up and ready themselves to fight once more. “I’m tired of starting over and over again” is screamed with a frustration which only comes from being chewed up and spat out by the mental illness machine. Then, with closing Decision, the relentless drums push us closer to the edge. Exploding into bass heavy riffs, this begins to feel stifled. Heaviness is something we crave and this album has it in abundance. However, this wrecking ball approach doesn’t level us the way APRIL 21ST were hoping.
Courage Is Born From Fear doesn’t reinvent the wheel, or give us any new information about the struggle with mental illness. What it does do is show APRIL 21ST have a clear talent for composition. These five songs have been constructed meticulously. This band doesn’t compromise on their vision, which is incredibly admirable for an act today. But in a genre saturated by envelope pushers and boundary blurrers, this particular courage doesn’t roar like the alpha lion.
Rating: 6/10
Courage Is Born From Fear is set for release on September 10th via Eclipse Records.
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