Alienist “Love/Hate”
UNFD’s newest and hottest property is Alienist, a Wollongong based metalcore band of filthy riffs, emotional lyrics, melodic harmonies and a healthy dose of breakdowns.
It’s the band debut EP Love/Hate, a conceptual take of the dichotomy of love and hate that flows through the EP. Be it the aspect with religion in Godless, a breakup in Absent or even within yourself in Distorted Reflections, the content lends itself to a exploratory journey into one’s self while exhuming the music that links the journey into your mind.
What of the bands music? Godless starts softly, like coming up for air into the sunlight, then a rolling riff starts. The change into an almost pop verse surprises but wait, this song is a journey into the soul and spirit and the it’s not long before cutting riffs and beats are attacking you.
Distorted Reflections meanwhile is like a red rag to a bull and rips at the speaker covers immediately. The riffs are brutally sharp, the switches jolting in that way your body involuntary moves and the breakdown, well that’s going to make the floor of your car drop out, never mind your bowels it’s that degrading to your senses. Perfect for the pit.
Absent may be a song about a breakup but this is ain’t no ballad. The attacks of ‘broken coward’ and ‘I know you think you’re not to blame, self righteous…’ – well you can guess the rest of the intention of that sentence – are surgically on point. As are the dual vocals, the clean of Lachlan Forsberg and guttural of Damon Renes, are terrific. They perfectly display how your mind struggles with cognitive dissonance when your strong feelings are juxtaposed to the reality you face.
The EP lyrics deal cathartically deal with what Renes was dealing with 2022, the band pick up on those emotions, fear, anger, despair, and tracks like Hypnotise explore the feeling of lost control, with the subtle ethereal cries in the background emotive.
The EP finishes with Prisoner Of You, a victim in a toxic relationship taking their stand and firing back. The refrain of ‘Get out of my face’ precedes a brilliant bridge into a chorus that is catchy and an instant crowd singing worthy moment. The musical dynamic between the hooks and the brutal riffs a consolidation of the content, however it’s the last part and the cries of Get Out that will melt your brain.
Alienist know that being on UNFD brings with it pressure and expectation. On this EP it’s all there, everything you want. Literally every song is a killer track, and one that easily can be incorporated into a live setting. It can easily be incorporated into your Spotify playlist too. Treat yourself, you will not regret it.
EP Review By Iain McCallum
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