EP REVIEW: Erase Theory – Erase Theory
ERASE THEORY was born from Jeff Sahyoun‘s love of music. It wasn’t the easiest start for the former LETLIVE guitarist. After the band split in 2017, a major part of his identity was suddenly gone. He initially wrote music that he thought other people would like, before deciding to get a job in construction to pay the bills and move away from the music industry. But his love affair with music didn’t end, and – a few days after graduating university – he went back to the songs he had written and noticed that they had potential.
The result is Erase Theory, a debut EP that starts with a song called Lost It. Whilst that might sound like a depressing start, the reality is much different. It is an upbeat song that declares that ERASE THEORY “is not broken anymore.” The synth-pop is fun in the verses, and it blends well with the guitars to highlight influences for this EP which include everyone from NINE INCH NAILS to THE WEEKND. This might sound extremely out of place on paper, but the results are better than you might expect.
Take the song Topshelf as an example. The heavy guitar wouldn’t sound of place in an industrial rock album, yet the synth-pop breakdown is an inventive left turn that shows ERASE THEORY is rewriting the rulebook, and it sounds brilliant. That said, if you were worried that this would just be a synth-pop show with a few guitars thrown in for good measure, then your expectations will be pulled out from under you with the song Stay. This song embraces the rockier side that has only been hinted at until this point, and it makes for one of the highlights on an already brilliant EP.
On the other hand, Closure opens with an electronic beat which then mixes into a guitar heavy verse. Then it switches back into the same electronic beat. This does cause some tonal inconsistences, however by the end the song combines these things together to create a hybrid of the two genres. It isn’t quite as impactful as the previous tracks; it tries to have its cake and eat it too, but unfortunately the production means it doesn’t quite work as well as the previous songs as it doesn’t give each genre equal footing.
Then there is 20xx, the EP’s LINKIN PARK-esque closer. Whilst it sadly isn’t as impactful as the previous songs due to the paint-by-numbers production, it does serve as nice full circle moment as it leads back into the opening track. The production on the song signals a slight decline as you listen. This is a shame because the last two songs are not bad by any means. However, when you put them alongside the rest of the EP, they struggle to hold up just a little.
Overall, if you’re looking for a unique EP, then ERASE THEROY‘s self-titled debut is the one. Whilst it might falter slightly at the end, there is enough in there for everyone to enjoy. It is full of interesting production choices that might not always work well, but it is worth remembering that this is a debut. Debuts are sometimes a bit hit or miss. If ERASE THEORY continues in the right direction, then this could mark the start of a very exciting new chapter in Sahyoun‘s career.
Rating: 7/10
Erase Theory is set for release on February 24th via Icons Creating Evil Art.
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