EP REVIEW: Don’t Hold Your Breath – 156/Silence

Pittsburgh’s 156/SILENCE caused quite the stir with the release of their second full-length Irrational Pull back in June 2020. Cutting through a crowded metalcore scene, its throwback savagery swiftly landed the five-piece a deal with SharpTone Records, with a deluxe reissue following soon after. Eager to keep that momentum going, the band are back with even more new music in Don’t Hold Your Breath. This one’s a short, savage little EP whose four tracks were recorded in as many days. Supposedly written in tandem with a brand new album, fans will no doubt be eager to see what clues this might offer as to where the band are headed next.

The answer seems to be more or less in the same direction. This EP is another feral metallic hardcore offering, one of crushing riffs, panic-stricken guitars, and tortured, raging passion. The nods to bands like POISON THE WELL and COALESCE remain intact, as does the quintet’s own fierce modern edge. Thematically, it sees them dealing in themes of “reflection, loss, regret, and loneliness”. Inspired, like many others, by the isolation and desolation of the past couple of years, it may not be the most original theme, but there’s still no denying the general bleak despondency which hangs over these 11 and a half minutes.

As on Irrational Pull, vocalist Jack Murray remains particularly gripping. His harsher stylings drip with agony and anger in equal measure, these often delivered at raging, almost rapped, speed. Third track The Wrong Sense provides a prime example, perhaps even evoking the rabid anguish of KORN’s Jonathan Davis. He also continues to make use of the more downbeat spoken parts heard on Irrational Pull, these again reflecting the record’s overall pessimism, while also serving as another obvious metalcore throwback. It’s not a one-man show either. Every member pulls their own weight, and they’re all captured brilliantly by the steady, masterful hands of producer Will Putney.

The first three tracks on Don’t Hold Your Breath seem to fly past with a blink and you’ll miss it intensity, but 156/SILENCE definitely save the best till last. Closer Coup De Grâce (The Final Blow) is both the longest and most dynamic track on the EP. It starts out quiet and bleak, a mix of clean guitars, gentle drums, and atmospheric synth pads. From here, it builds to a furious full band conclusion, only for this to end again in quiet reflection. It’s a mature, powerful offering, perhaps more so than anything the band have done thus far. Crucially, if this is an indicator of where they might be going next then you can count us in.

Overall, Don’t Hold Your Breath is the sound of a band continuing to build on their potential. It may not move the goalposts too far from those laid out on Irrational Pull, but it still reveals 156/SILENCE have no intentions of slowing down. While their outlook on life itself may not be the most optimistic, it’s safe to say the only way is up for these still rising stars.

Rating: 8/10

Don’t Hold Your Breath is set for release on October 29th via SharpTone Records. 

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