EP REVIEW: Holy Ground – Burial Waves
The hardcore music scenes in Washington DC and Baltimore, Maryland, have softened somewhat over the years, as bands reject the heaviness for more diverse and sonic range. However, there is still a grit and rawness in the scene. Just because the music is more diverse does not mean that the soul of the scene has gone. BURIAL WAVES are a quintessential DC/Baltimore band. Comprising members from various bands in the scene, including PIANOS BECOME THE TEETH, the five-piece have just released their debut EP, Holy Ground.
Light Heads starts off with a synth before exploding into a riot of noisy instruments. Drummer Jimmy Rhodes is a stand-out on this song, acting as the heartbeat of the track. Kyle Durfey‘s vocals are also a stand-out, although unfortunately not for a good reason. The production on the song has let him down as the vocals come across as strained and grating.
At Sea leans in to the heavy post-hardcore sound, whereas the previous song was a more accessible rock sound, before it eventually dulls down. Thankfully, Durfey‘s voice is much gentler here. This song also lets guitarists Matthew Dowling and Ross Hurt have their time to shine, as the riffs are much more prominent here. It’s a slow-paced song, and juxtaposes against the previous sound, with the EP feeling a little disjointed so far.
The Romantic starts off with gang vocals before returning to Durfey‘s gentle voice. The pacing of the song is an odd one; it hops from slow to fast like playing hopscotch on hot coals. It doesn’t help the overall pacing of the EP either as it jumps all over the place. This is a shame because the band are very talented, but their sound is just not quite there.
The guitar riff on Cinema Shame is dull and moody, just like the song. A mellow song actually helps the EP calm down after the ruckus of the previous songs. Surprisingly, the pacing of the song hits the sweet spot, and actually benefits the overall EP. It is a definite highlight. If BURIAL WAVES keep things going at this pace, they’ve found their niche. The Guest is the final song, and is six minutes long. It starts off like a continuation of Cinema Shame; slow, moody and mid-tempo. Then it turns into a bit of a musical mess. This is unfortunate as they really had found a perfect sound in the previous song. It is like they have just thrown that progress away, and its six minute length feels rather unnecessary given that a lot of it rests on repetition.
In conclusion, Holy Ground is a bit of a hit or miss record. BURIAL WAVES seem to start off in one direction, only to throw this away. Even when they seem to find their sound as they do on Cinema Shame, they abandon this again all too quickly. This creates a disjointed and uninspiring EP. It is a shame, because when they find their sound, they are very talented. It is just unfortunate that it is buried underneath some weaker moments.
Rating: 5/10
Holy Ground is out now via Dark Operative.
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