EP REVIEW: Spirit Breaker – Still Remains
It’s been years since we had anything from a metalcore outfit STILL REMAINS. Any other band would have gathered momentum after a comeback record but STILL REMAINS defy expectations with no new music since 2013 with Ceasing To Breath. However, 2026 is a different story, new EP Spirit Breaker shows that the troupe does indeed, still remain.
We aren’t eased in with this one. Spirit Breaker opens up on an absolute monster of a track with The Wound And The Weapon. Some synth sounds dotted here and there morph into huge sounding guitars that mean business with frontman TJ Miller’s wonderfully screaming vocals prepare us for war and launch us into battle. From here on in, The Wound And The Weapon is a true tour de force and hooks you instantly with its maelstrom of heaviness, backed up by THE RED CHORD’s Guy Kozowyk, this song shows intent to show Still Remains never went away and are here to cause as much chaos and take our ear drums to the nth degree as possible. “I am a weapon” being screamed is no hyperbole. This song is like a shotgun blast as it shakes you to your very core, leaving you battered and bruised. The guitars combine with keyboards to make a beautiful atmospheric track that truly sets the tone for this short and brutal listen.
EP namesake is up next with Spirit Breaker which takes the intensity from the first song and turns it up a notch which you’d think not possible, yet here we are. It’s an expertly crafted track that shows the years away for the band have been of no consequence. The track has a spiralling feel and you’re pulled into this world of desperation and despair in all the greatest ways possible. The punishing riffs are phenomenal which intertwine perfectly with pulsating blast beats before a wonderful break down with a hellish choir adds to the fray. It has you two stepping and yearning for mosh pits throughout its run time as it warrants repeated listening as soon as you’re done with it. The EP bleeds into each song wonderfully, Erase You starts off quiet as it pulls you in with false pretences before STILL REMAINS hit you with a wall of sound that leaves no stone unturned as the blast beats return and rattle your brains about your head. From here on in, it’s a swirling, circle pit inducing track that shows no signs of slowing down, it’s just a glorious four minutes of every kind of BPM possible. Miller’s vocals are particularly impressive on this one as he expertly weaves between clean and harsh vocals, it’s a true testament to his skill and shows why this EP is nothing short of insane.
Eclipse acts as the EP’s penultimate track and fools you with some sort of Viking sounding metal with its noodling guitar that reels the song in. This is short lived however as the chaotic and brutal nature of the EP takes centre stage with breakdowns galore that it almost takes hold of you and has you two stepping in your room as the cat runs for cover. It’s a true testament to the band that they’ve been able to catch lightning in a bottle and keep up the quality over this short run. At no point in this does it feel like Spirit Breaker is phoning it in and keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout the entire listen. One last time, Still Remains throws everything they have at you as Waste Of Breath acts as the finale. And a waste of breath it is not. The song itself has a wonderful groove throughout that creates an awesome yet infectious bounce. The swirling guitar solos are so expertly woven into the song it does feel like sorcery at times as they conjure the brutal nature of Spirit Breaker. As the song feels like its dying down, it brings you back in one last time for an unforgiving breakdown with no quarter given before it ends, leaving you desperate for more.
Spirit Breaker is short but sweet. The only downside is, it isn’t long enough and shows that a full album would have been a very welcome addition to the Still Remains discography, but we can only hope. From start to finish, Spirit Breaker is a triumph of metalcore. Sometimes you just need that bit of music that attacks all the senses and feels cathartic, with Spirit Breaker, Still Remains have achieved just that. Lets just hope there isn’t a 13 year wait next time. We will be here waiting, and still remaining.
Rating: 8/10
Spirit Breaker is out now via Arson Theory.
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