EP REVIEW: re:preface – A Light Within
A LIGHT WITHIN burst onto the post-metal scene in 2013 with their debut EP Preface. They followed it up with two more EPs – Body Matter and Epilogue – in 2015 and 2018 respectively, and now after multiple line-up changes and a few stand-alone singles released in 2023 and 2024, the band have decided to re-release Preface as a reworked and enhanced version that matches up with the changes they have gone through over the years.
Across three songs and 19 minutes of music, A LIGHT WITHIN have used the original source material to make the EP more intelligible. Page #32 (Morning) is the longest song on the record, clocking in at seven minutes. This is typical in the genre of post-metal, and A LIGHT WITHIN don’t waste a single second. The reproduction of the song allows the atmospheric music to build up to an exciting ending.
Page #18 (Grin) and Page #66 (Sixes) follow, and whilst all three of the songs follow a similar pattern sonically, with an instrumental introduction, a sung middle, and an instrumental outro, they all have their differences. For example, Page #18 (Grin) starts off with an instrumental introduction that includes an indistinct conversation and Page #66 (Sixes) opens with an acoustic guitar.
Each song has its own unique identity, which is made even clearer by the production. Re-releasing music can earn a mixed reaction as some people might view it as a shameless cash-grab, whereas others might view it as something necessary, especially if the previous production was rough. That is the case for re:preface. The raw production of the 2013 version has been re-worked into a smooth, ambient sounding EP that allows the songs to work well together individually and as an EP, creating a coherent sound that shows where A LIGHT WITHIN are today, music-wise.
Overall, re:preface is a fantastic EP that not only improves upon A LIGHT WITHIN‘s first release, but also sets the stage for what the future holds for them. With a smoother production, the quality of the EP has been upgraded, but the heart and soul is still as clear as it was back in 2013. Whilst the songs do have the same structure, their individuality is clearer in this version, and as the EP continues, the structure changes in subtle ways that are only noticeable in this re-produced version. A LIGHT WITHIN have shown how far they have come since their early years, and this EP is just the start of an exciting new chapter.
Rating: 9/10
re:preface is out now via self-release.
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