EP REVIEW: Timeless – Of Mice & Men

Whatever your feelings about the state of metalcore over the past decade or so, it’s hard to deny that OF MICE & MEN have sat pretty near the top of the scene for a while now. Formed in 2009, their self-titled debut was one of several records which helped shape metalcore as we know it today. Since then, they’ve repeatedly mastered the genre’s chugging riffs and massive hooks over five more studio albums. Even the 2016 departure of founder and vocalist Austin Carlisle didn’t knock them off their stride. 2019’s EARTHANDSKY quickly became a fan-favourite, with the band sounding fresher than ever. A follow-up has been hotly anticipated ever since, and now it’s here in the form of a three track EP entitled Timeless.

The record is the first of three EPs OF MICE & MEN plan to release in 2021. These form a sort of trilogy, set to culminate in the release of the band’s seventh studio album. In an increasingly common trend, they were written during the COVID-19 pandemic, pieced together over platforms like Twitch and Zoom. No strangers to challenges, this new way of working doesn’t seem to have phased the four-piece. Timeless reveals a band still very much at the top of the game when it comes to crushing melodic metalcore.

Musically, Timeless doesn’t throw up many surprises. Every track features the kind of gigantic arena-ready chorus we’ve long come to expect from OF MICE & MEN. On the first two songs, there’s the melodeath-inspired riffing which has been a genre staple for at least two decades now. There’s also of course plenty of tight, technical and chugging metalcore riffs which the band lock into with ease. Guitarists Phil Manansala and Alan Ashby deserve a special shout-out, providing quality lead work throughout, and especially on Obsolete. The rhythm section of vocalist/bassist Aaron Pauley and drummer Valentino Arteaga hold their own too, giving everything a firm and thundering grounding.

All three tracks would sit comfortably in the band’s setlist, but the highlight is surely Anchor. This one is easily the most dynamic song on the record. As well as providing the usual massive chorus and riffs, it features moments of delicate soundscapes and electronic beats. At points, it even draws DEFTONES comparisons, most of all from Pauley‘s lighter vocal stylings in the song’s verses.

One of the band’s intentions with Timeless was to give fans an “experience in headphones.” For the most part, they seem to have achieved this through the addition of synths and textures. These make the band sound bigger than they ever have before – not that they needed much help with that. This is great, but it would definitely be interesting to see them push further into the moments of relative quiet heard on Anchor for Timeless‘ planned sequels. In doing so, they could provide fans with a genuinely dynamic record – something of a rarity in modern metalcore.

If Timeless, and specifically Anchor, signals the start of new era of experimentation for OF MICE & MEN, that’s pretty exciting. If not, and that’s about as far as the band go in terms of new sonic territory, then that’s unlikely to be much of a problem either. Sometimes it’s just nice to hear a band at the height of their powers doing what they do best. Either way, Timeless marks a solid first entry to OF MICE & MEN‘s 2021 trilogy, and a record that should have listeners eagerly looking to the next one.

Rating: 8/10

Timeless is set for release on February 26th via SharpTone Records.

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