EP REVIEW: The Faces We Portray – Where Oceans Burn

Everyone is different; we have different personas for different situations and different people. Nobody knows the real us, unless we choose to show them. Manchester-based metalcore quartet WHERE OCEANS BURN tackle the issue of identity by naming their new EP The Faces We Portray. They band have built up a lot of popularity since the release of their debut single Hollow Heart back in 2019, embarking on their first UK tour a couple of years later, and now with their new EP they are looking to make 2024 a year to remember.

Opener AI is a dark, electronic heavy song which builds the anticipation for the EP before exploding into a breakdown complete with thumping bass, gritty guitar riffs and pounding drums. There is only a brief vocal part and the whole track is just under two minutes long, yet it manages to pack a lot into that short runtime. The vocals are harsh in next track Dysmorphia, and the screams work well with the singing. However, it’s when the vocals verge into rapping that things teeter a little. They sound a little out of place, although thankfully this issue rectifies itself by the end.

Unfortunately, the EP isn’t perfect. Some of the tracks definitely don’t need to be as long as they are, like Static for example which is a fun metalcore song that ends up outstaying its welcome with an extended instrumental outro. On the other hand, songs such as Manifest and Euphoria manage to reign it in when it comes to the runtime.

The band stick with metalcore and electronica, which gives the EP a good foundation, but the songs tend to fall into a pattern of having an electronic or metalcore start, then introducing vocals, before launching into the song itself. Whilst this cycle is broken with the extended intro to closer Caught Between The Grave And Yesterday, even this one ends up falling into similar trappings by the end.

Overall, The Faces We Portray is an interesting EP. It has moments of brilliance, such as the opening song, but it gets bogged down by a repetitive structure that gets tiresome by the end. Given the breadth of possibilities in both metalcore and electronic music, the band could have chosen to experiment a little, but instead they fall into a safety net. While tracks like AI, Manifest and Euphoria show glimmers of something more exciting, WHERE OCEANS BURN haven’t hit the right mark just yet. But there is still hope.

Rating: 5/10

The Faces We Portray is set for release on February 9th via Prime Collective.

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