EP REVIEW: The Fear – After Smoke Clears
Metalcore has come a long way since the early to mid-2000s; as of more recent years it has developed its own sub-genre of nu-core – a fusion of metalcore and nu-metal that seemingly dances hand in hand with bands like CODE ORANGE and TALLAH. It would appear that the genre never fails to revive itself and stay relevant; without going stale it continuously proves to be popular among the crowd, and following this we have London quartet AFTER SMOKE CLEARS with their latest release The Fear. It’s an EP that takes a deep dive into social anxiety, addiction and childhood trauma tucked away in a gigantic sound that is sure to have you ‘spin this shit!‘ at one of their shows.
Scratch opens the record on rapid yet fierce start with beefy bass tones, a strong vocal performance between cleans and screams, and attacking guitars with monstrous tones. Next, Loom delivers a sense of dread, being your own worst enemy, someone who knows the ins and outs of your fears and insecurities and uses them against you, almost like you’re living life through an endless loop of overthought words. The simplicity of guitars and the unsettled synths looming in the background really make the chorus shine as Nick Hurford screams away the dread, “So much hate and so much shame / Trauma clinging deep inside“.
Delay takes a complete one-eighty and is a short trap-style instrumental with slight industrial tones that features a robotic voiceover reminding us that “the London underground apologises for the delay“. It’s an odd placement three tracks in and doesn’t add anything extraordinary to this EP; it feels unnecessary at best and filler at worst. In spite of this though it doesn’t take away from all that is yet to come.
The Fear though is where prominent NORTHLANE influences can be heard between the bouncy riffs and the ambient clean sections and the vocal contrast between Hurford and THY ART IS MURDERS‘ CJ McMahon compliments one another, both distinct without getting lost, outshone or drowned out by the other. Together they are a force of reckoning, bringing doomsday upon us, filling a void of sound and bringing a sense of irrationality and urgency to a hellish track.
Soap Bath is collection of dissonant guitar leads, crunchy guitar rhythm tones that pack a punch specifically where the track’s opening is concerned, and a variety of synth melodies over some rap styled screams and low gutturals. Limbo however feels more riff-centred in comparison to its predecessor, stewing in the repetitive mantra of “Lost in Oblivion / To this I gave all dedication” that becomes both loud and catchy as it flows, finishing with a sneaky Mortal Kombat KO (“Fatality!“). Alas, a swift victory towards the finish line; a strong end to a strong strong start.
Overall, this EP does very little to dissatisfy its listeners, whether you’re on the hunt for compelling guitar riffs with aggressive tones, emphatic vocal delivery, demanding and energetic drums or feisty bass lines with beefy tones then this record has you covered. At times it has some nu-metal sparkle though mostly influenced by the metalcore and hardcore genres as a whole with a very notable NORTHLANE influence, particularly in The Fear. However, this EP has a distinct AFTER SMOKE CLEARS sound; often after releasing an album there’s a lot of pressure where the sound and direction is concerned, often leaving you at odds with yourself, all whilst keeping it fresh and not rehashing the same thing over again. This is nothing less than a victory.
Rating: 7/10
The Fear is out now via self-release.
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