Palisades

I'm Not Dying Today EP

Written by: AP on 31/03/2012 22:28:46

It is no secret that Rise Records have taken to signing bands according to a very simple selection process: does the band have heavy breakdowns? Is there clean singing involved, and if so, do their choruses tickle the hearts of teenage girls? Are there sufficiently prominent electronic elements present in the music? As such it is no wonder that the label recently took Iselin, NJ based six-piece Palisades on board; their latest EP "I'm Not Dying Today" is a safe bet, and the band will likely be featured on next year's Vans Warped Tour.

Palisades distill their sound from the current fads: the fusion of electronica and metal, the use of mighty dissonant breakdowns, and the resurgence of pop-punk. The result is an EP on which the sugary choruses of A Day to Remember combine with Attack Attack! style sampling and synthesizing, and the lofty post-hardcore tendencies of Hands Like Houses, to create a blend that is, against all odds, rather successful. Nothing particularly original or inventive takes place during its five songs of runtime, but the disparate elements have been intertwined with care and finesse to create dynamic, purposeful songs. Neither the breakdowns nor the electronic elements are used as mere gimmicks, but instead to beef up the band's ambitious compositions. Nowhere is this more apparent than on the highlights "Immortal" and "Wolves", which are both demonstrations in intelligent layering and quiet/loud dynamics and the most grandiose presentations on the EP. Pay attention in particular to the instantly memorable chorus of the former, and the playful neoclassicism of the latter's mid-section.

The other songs, "Disclosure" (featuring Tyler Smith of The Word Alive), its verse the most quintessential example of the band's pop sensibilities; "Bury It", a somewhat anonymous dance driven post-hardcore tune; and "Seamless Ending", a pop-punk track gone core, are all decent picks as well, if eclipsed somewhat by the quality of the two aforementioned songs. As such, those with a predisposition to hate anything even remotely similar to the other bands mentioned in the paragraph above will be best off ignoring this release even though it might provide strong proof that not all practitioners of contemporary scene music should be dismissed as garbage, but if bands like Hands Like Houses and My Ticket Home have been known to tempt your interest, then "I'm Not Dying Today" is worth a listen.

7

Download: Disclosure, Immortal, Wolves
For the fans of: Attack Attack!, Hands Like Houses, My Ticket Home, Secrets
Listen: Facebook

Release date 07.02.2012
Rise Records

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