EP REVIEW: State Of You – State Of You
Bringing together ex-members of POLAR, TESSA JONES, HILDAMAY, SEASONAL and OUTCRY COLLECTIVE, STATE OF YOU refused to let the pandemic hold them back when it came to getting their debut EP together. At a time when most new bands would’ve given up as the world stopped, the five-piece instead focused on the power of modern technology and sent each other ideas online – all whilst playing Call Of Duty! The band came up with 40 songs during that time. After shaving that number down to six, STATE OF YOU created their self-titled debut EP.
Lies is the opening song. The brutality of the song can be heard from the get-go. Steve Sitkowski‘s vocals are perfect; they have that perfect punk energy. Guitarists Ollie Jeffs and Max O’Neil’s opening riffs are brilliant at drawing the audience in before all hell breaks loose.
Run was the band’s debut song, and what a song to choose. It is scrappy, but also super fun. The band say that their influences include EVERY TIME I DIE, BEARTOOTH and UNDEROATH. Whilst those sounds are very much in the music, there is also something special that separates STATE OF YOU from those bands. Perhaps it is the fact that they can go from a metalcore song like Run to a sing-along rock and roll song such as Blood Party with its extremely catchy refrain of “I don’t listen to anyone / Only my heart and soul“.
However, whilst those songs might sound like they do not work at all on paper, they do on the EP. This is a fantastic achievement for a band’s debut, because the definitive sound can be hard to find at such an early stage of the career. On the other hand, the members of STATE OF YOU have been in the music industry for a while, so it is clear that they know the ropes. Unfortunately, there are some downsides to this EP. The main issue is that Blood Party and The Perfect Storm sound the exact same. It does not help that they are placed right next to each other either, which makes them sound like one long song. This is a shame because the songs on their own are fantastic.
Of course, having songs that sound similar to one another does mean that the pacing is not affected. This is thanks to the producer of the EP, Oz Craggs, known as the bassist of the dearly departed hardcore band FEED THE RHINO. It is clear that he knows what he is doing, because he manages to shape an EP that is mostly perfect. This can be seen on the record’s closing track Reckoning, which is a brilliant mixture of metalcore and rock. It is a brilliant closing song because it fuses the two genres that have been a major part of the EP together. Furthermore, it links nicely back to Lie, which is a clever way of showing that the band are going full circle.
Whilst STATE OF YOU‘s debut EP is not completely perfect, it is a fun one. It is clear that the band are having a blast on it. Furthermore, despite a few of the songs being oddly placed, the EP is paced and produced well. The mixing of metalcore and rock works better than most people would expect, and it is great to see a new angle on two genres which often seem to be repetitive. STATE OF YOU have a bright future ahead; this EP is only just the start.
Rating: 8/10
State Of You is set for release on September 2nd via Silent Cult Recordings.
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