“Angel guts falling down around me.”
The last few years for nu-metalcore have been that of shifting sands, with bands coming and going, or perhaps moving on to a more palatable sound. 2022 has been the year where roots of a new generation of bands have began to emerge though, with the likes of Graphic Nature, HEAVENSGATE and Pincer+. With this the genre offers up the potential to consistently deliver a quality that it did in the early to mid 2010s, with bands such as Sworn In and Darke Complex releasing some of the genre’s finest work to date. Based in Perth, Australia, Pincer+ are looking to become one of the stalwarts of this new generation.
With an array of talent present, with Dealer alumnus Josh Ang being the lead songwriter and guitarist, he is joined by Jacob Robb (Vocals), Jordan Burn (Guitar) and Jack Nelson (Drums). It’s a line-up that sets off chatter even before Pincer+ had released a record, however the flipside of this is that expectation begins to grow of in terms of sound and calibre. Their debut record, Hunting God Tapes. Vol. 1: Violence, further has the touch of the ever-present George Lever of G1 Productions, who has worked with a list of bands that including the likes of Loathe, Thornhill, Pridelands. The group is also one of the latest additions to Greyscale Records, sharing company with Make Them Suffer, Paledusk and Justice For The Damned.
As the play button is hit, Vol. 1: Violence welcomes the listener in with a sample “Introducing violence.” on opener “Angeldust“. This seemingly acts as the motto for this record, which has the potential to lay claim to being one 2022’s most violent releases. It’s impossible to escape the fury of Pincer+, with “Breathing in the River” being an outright brawler of a track. The bloodcurdling breakdown invokes pure on sight magnetism, and with its two step beat and closing breakdown, this brute of a track sets the bar early on. “Ugly On The Skin” and closer “天堂爆炸” again offer up some maddening brutality that will surely induce a crowd into mayhem, with Vol. 1: Violence‘s early promise delivering.
Where Pincer+‘s debut record does perhaps waiver is what surrounds these violent peaks. Despite its enjoyable heaviness, which will be a sight to witness live, it doesn’t perhaps scratch that itch that its predecessor did. With some of the aforementioned bands and the likes of Yüth Forever (neé Villains) and Gift Giver setting the threshold for nu-metalcore in the previous decade, there is perhaps a semblance that the genre still hasn’t developed upon what has become before to fully escape the shadow of these past bands. There is a difficult to escape sense that, if these bands had remained, they would have been making the exact same music Pincer+ are making, but perhaps in a more original or engaging manner, as many of these groups’ output largely outweighs much of what the genre has to offer in the current day.
While Pincer+ are undoubtedly set to become a staple of the current nu-metalcore wave, and will see deserved fanfare for this first chronicle of many, there is still a lingering doubt as to whether Pincer+ can be the band to take lead nu-metalcore into the new decade. While the sheer violence at hand leaves a grin on the sheer and an urge to be experienced at a live show, it is a vice that could lose its pull in the long run. While it is likely yet to be fully uncovered, the hook that gives the Aussie unit the pull to place themselves at the forefront of this genre is still wanting.
7/10
Hunting God Tapes. Vol. 1: Violence is out this Friday, November 25th via Greyscale Records.