Disbelief, shock, unparalleled excitement. Surprise returns have been somewhat of a staple in 2021, from metalcore-kingpins Elitist with “Ctrl Alt Del”, their first single in six years, to the lords of Thall, Vildhjarta, who dropped “När De Du Älskar Kommer Tillbaka Från De Döda” back in April. The coveted return of Canadian technical-metalcore band Structures has for me, been the most monumental of all the reprisals we have seen so far in 2021. Through a photographic teaser released on the band’s platforms in early June, the unveiling of Structures’ return sent a seismic wave barrelling around the world, sparking ardor within the hearts of many in the modern metal scene. Quite like an announcement that your favourite childhood video game is being gloriously recreated, the news that the Torontonian trio were coming back filled me with unbridled glee, and the nostalgia soon followed; I have the fondest of memories listening to Structures’ first EP, 2010’s All of the Above and their 2011 debut album Divided By in my high school days.
For those unfamiliar, Structures have long been heralded as a band that offered something new to metalcore — frenetic time signature changes, groove-infused chugging patterns and overall polyrhythms galore. The reformed group is comprised of guitarists Spyros Georgiou and Brendon Padjasek (the latter of whom also performs vocal duties) and drummer Andrew McEnaney. The returning lineup does not include original vocalist Nick Xourafas nor bassist and clean-vocalist Spencer MacLean, providing us with the same lineup as heard on 2014’s Life Through A Window, the band’s final record before indefinitely separating later that year.
Whilst many fans have longed to once more hear Xourafas and MacLeans’ infectious vocal blend from All of the Above and Divided By, I for one am beyond stoked to hear Padjasek resuming the role of lead vocalist for Structures; his approach to Life Through A Window pushed the band towards more of a hardcore style, not too dissimilar to Stray From The Path. The lead single even “The Worst Of Both Worlds” featured Drew York of that very same band. Now, after a seven-year hiatus, the boys are finally back — as a massive Structures fan, I can barely believe I am writing this. Without further ado, this is None of the Above by Structures.
Structures kickstart their second EP with an utter filth-fest of a song — track one, “Planet of Garbage”. Acting as the lead single for the EP, “Planet of Garbage” had to do a LOT right: Reintroducing the scene to Structures and setting the tone for None of the Above, whilst demonstrating their development as musicians in waiting. It is important to note that this EP follows lead vocalist and guitarist Brendon Padjasek’s two-year stint with Australian progressive metalcore giants Northlane, and the influences are certainly audible here. The band have dropped their guitars down from Drop G on previous records to the earth-shattering rumble that is Drop E.
When this is entwined with the sociopolitical and environmental themes that shape “Planet of Garbage’s” lyrics, it is clear that the band have most definitely matured and gotten even heavier since their last outing in 2014. The production on “Planet of Garbage” and indeed every track here is gorgeously tight, with masterfully-tuned snares and thunderous kicks rounding out the drums, and Padjasek’s aggressive vocals cutting through the mix like a hot knife through butter. This is all brought together with high-gain, saturated guitars: a wet dream for modern technical-metalcore fans.
Delivering one of the most intense moments on the EP, we have the second track “6” featuring Brendan Murphy of Counterparts and END. I have no doubt in my heart or mind whatsoever that “6” will become a fan favourite — the track provides a powerful narrative on the world we inhabit today, “But sadly, this is the way that humans breed / We live in filth / Some of us only want money / Others believe in God / But none of these will save your life.” The intent behind this song’s narrative seems to be that of mankind poisoning itself through its own actions. There is no sonic juxtaposition here to provide a breather; “6” is a straight-up balls-to-the-wall onslaught for its entire duration. The song offers plenty of the Structures staples we have come to expect — pick scrapes, dissonant harmonics, and stank-face inducing breakdowns.
Soon, we are presented with “Gone / Dead”, the EP’s third track. Clocking in at one minute and forty-two seconds, “Gone / Dead” would typically be a mere interlude for some bands. However, Structures have placed this track here with poignancy and purpose; offering an explosive composition of 808s and hardcore-inspired progressions. This song absolutely stands on its own in the EP. The message behind “Gone / Dead”, at least in my interpretation, is summarised by the lyric “Cause now it’s your time to live / Cause when you’re dead and gone there ain’t nothing back to look back on.” This track is a resolute call-to-arms for all listeners to discard materialism for a truer motive to live, and to not let money, possessions and a world that ultimately isn’t looking out for you to define your self-worth.
It is pretty much inevitable that Volumes will come up in a conversation about Structures. The two bands both matched one another with monumental releases in 2010, 2011 and 2014, and teased the collaborative project Vol/Tures back in 2015. Sadly, this was confirmed by Volumes at a later date to unfortunately be cancelled to the dismay of thousands of fans. With the fourth song on the EP, “Civilian” featuring Michael Barr of Volumes, we unbelievably have something as close to Vol/Tures as we may ever get.
“Civilian” is genuinely NASTY. Frantic, choppy guitar riffs combine with percussive blasts in those signature Structures transitions throughout “Civilian“, and hearing Michael Barr on a Structures song is an insanely surreal moment. The opening verse delves into the issue of gun ownership in the United States; “Right to bare arms / Ripe to fuck the world up / You’re selling this shit, what do you expect? / It only takes one psychopath to take things way too far / Is this still protecting us?”. The dream team of Barr and Padjasek unite two-thirds of the way into “Civilian” with a back-and-forth lyrical duel, reminiscent of Volumes themselves. Together, the two vocalists jump into some of the standout lyrics on this EP: “True hatred’s running through our bones / Oh, what are we to do with all this hatred?”. Lyrically, thematically and sonically, this song is extremely visceral.
“Psycho Hours” and “Fortune Fades” wrap up the EP as the fifth and sixth tracks respectively. The former, whilst still an undoubtedly devastating track, seems to lose its footing a little when surrounding by its neighbouring masterpieces. “Psycho Hours” toys with eerie, discordant background synths, adding a dark tonality — a purposeful creative choice as this song is centred around drug addiction. “Fortune Fades” closes None of the Above with a fatally crushing, harmonic-laden riff reminiscent of recent efforts by Loathe. This final offering by Structures brings with it a breakdown I can only describe as utterly colossal. The instruments vanish from the mix like a candlelight snuffed from existence, and Padjasek drops a bombshell of a lyric: “These ideals we create, but lucky for us, things don’t change.” If Structures ever return to playing live, this is a moment that would quite literally transform a simple mosh pit into something much, much more.
Overall, this EP is a true return to form and then some. I would go as far as saying that Structures have really outdone themselves here, and have completely blown expectations out of the water. There really aren’t many negatives to point out — some may argue that fifteen minutes is insufficient — but on the contrary a shorter playtime opens listeners up to more repeat listens, and the confrontational, brutal nature of this collection is best suited to this kind of length. In conclusion, I have never been prouder to be a Structures fan. Leading up to the release of None of the Above, Structures unveiled their very first offering of vinyl records for the EP, of which the first wave sold out in just forty-one minutes. None of the Above unquestionably was worth the wait, and justifies the hype, even exceeding it. This is the quintessential Structures experience.
None of the Above is available now via self-release, and you can purchase or stream the EP here. For all things metal and music in general, stick around on Boolin Tunes.
10/10