EP REVIEW: Endeavours – High Rise

Melodic hardcore is a style that has been done and dusted for years now. For emerging bands aiming to perform music of this style, the challenge to stand-out from the trendsetters is one that is excruciatingly difficult. Intending to further stoke their flames come HIGH RISE with their latest effort, Endeavours, three years after their last effort, Left It For Everything.

The three year gap between material has done HIGH RISE the world of good. With a honed and refined sound, the five tracks that make up Endeavours demonstrate a band running at full-flow. Opener My Solitude, Your Hope sets an immediate precedent as the band come flying out of the blocks through high-octane riffs from guitarists Tom Thain and Ricky Gurung whilst Jovic Staddon‘s vocals intertwine with the mayhem effectively. Particular of note is the track’s chorus as the band effectively switch from the frantic riffing to an uplifting mid-tempo chug that compliment Staddon‘s soaring clean vocals. It’s a strong start and one that sets up the EP nicely.

From there, HIGH RISE continue to impress over the course of the EP’s duration. The Fight, easily a contender for the strongest song on the record, as intricate lead-guitar play holds it’s own against a speedy rhythm and the emotion-heavy chorus instantly connects and will have you coming back for more. Jovic Staddon is easily at his best here as his range of screams and cleans are perfectly balanced and his delivery of the aforementioned chorus is simply superb. Equally, Ghosts In My Mind and final track Haunting Me impress. Ghosts In My Mind‘s slow build up to an explosive chorus is a neat and subtle trick, one which hold your attention whilst Haunting Me offers one final explosive bout of hardcore to revitalise your energy levels.

And yet it is with the title track itself that demonstrates that there is more under the surface of HIGH RISE‘s sound that one would originally think. With more emphasis towards the melodic elements of their sound, the track is one which pulls on your heartstrings throughout. Guitar-play from Thain and Gurung dance together in hypnotising melody, bassist Ryan Beckett and drummer Jon Pickard keep the rhythm flowing organically, and Jovic Staddon steals the show with a triumphant and soaring vocal delivery, one which really hammers home the deeply personal lyrical content. It bodes well for HIGH RISE and it gives an indicator that there is more to this band than meets the eye.

With a runtime that is just shy of 20 minutes Endeavours is a short but thoroughly enjoyable EP from HIGH RISE. The five tracks on offer here are brimming with quality and whilst it won’t reinvent the playbook for melodic hardcore, what the band offer here is nothing but an enjoyable and captivating listen.

Rating: 8/10

Endeavours is set for release on March 29th via self-release.

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