“I never blamed you for seeking escape.”
In the latter half of this year, there seems to be an ongoing trend of me discovering gems of progressive metalcore bands amidst a sea of mediocrity (see also: Cliffside and Traveller). ‘Discover’ isn’t entirely accurate — I’ve been familiar with What Lies Below since their debut EP — but with this latest release cycle the Pennsylvania outfit have somehow taken it up another notch. 2021’s Destinations, a strong take on the sub-genre at the time, presented a group very close to finding their footing. In the two years since then, the refinement process of their sound has taken a steady incline, with the stronger elements of Destinations clearly the basis for their sophomore EP, Darker Colors.
The release begins on its heaviest cuts, “Darker” and “bound”, on which Andrew Watson delivers a truly impressive vocal performance made up of precise mid and low screams. These two tracks feature no clean vocals whatsoever, and Watson does admirably solo, his signature gritty tone delivered aptly against the angrier instrumentals. Each track is packed with intricate low-string riffs, provided by guitarists Mike Watson and Sam Hart. The two bring a varied set of techniques, from the reliable open chugs to harmonic-backed breakdowns, driving the intensity of some of the band’s heaviest songs to date.
“Lunarhaze” brings a melodic twist which sticks around for the rest of the release. The drumwork on this track, courtesy of Jonah Luteman, keeps the momentum and gives it a complete feel; the blast beats which liven up the first verse deserve special mention. “Lunarhaze” also sees Mike Watson perform an ethereal and impactful chorus, belted over a layer of measured, vibe-y ambience. His vocal style has seen a marked improvement over What Lies Below’s earlier tracks, elevating the overall package of their sound. The guitarwork on this track displays the band’s versatility, being able to provide the same level of intricacy whilst catering to a completely different emotion. To put it as straightforward as possible, the riffs are very groovy.
“Cloud Chamber” follows the path set before it, with a flurry of quickfire notes forming the opening riff. The passages where the track strips back with clean guitar provide an interesting contrast with the heavier moments. The hook is similarly vibe-y to the one on “Lunarhaze”, although the pitch-correction is applied a tad too heavy-handedly on the first two choruses. The breakdown is the track’s true highlight, being a harmonic-ridden cathartic release. Ultimately, it’s a well-balanced song which has a similar skeleton to the previous track, but constructed in a different way to remain fresh.
Synth-laden interlude “Aperture” leads us into the closer, “Misguided Light”. Impressively, the closer takes all the strengths of the previous offerings and builds upon them into an infectious and sturdy track. The melancholic emotion that characterises the back half of the EP is amplified here without restraint, and fittingly so; lyrics such as, “I never blamed you for seeking escape,” serve as a sorrowful acceptance of grief and loss. Both Watsons bring their best vocal efforts, including screams with remarkably clear enunciation and arguably the strongest chorus on the EP. All in all, it is befitting of closer status, distilling What Lies Below into a single track.
In its nearly 20-minute runtime, Darker Colors covers a lot of ground and feels consistent without ever straying into stale territory. Deciding to start with the heavy tracks and end on an emotional note is somewhat unusual, but I do feel that it works. Indeed, it is this emotional aspect that is the biggest highlight of the EP. Every full track is memorable and stands on its own. Though personally biased towards the melodic tracks, I do give credit to “Darker” and “bound.” for being able to innovate in their fields. Of course, I do wish the release was longer to further display their sonic and emotional range, but one must take into account the limitations of an independent band; in this regard, Darker Colors is impressive, clearly created with care and skill.
On their sophomore EP, What Lies Below display a marked improvement. Every aspect, from the musicianship to the vocal performances to the songwriting, has undergone significant growth. The band show a persistent drive to do better, and I sincerely feel that they have found their footing. If Darker Colors is an indication of where What Lies Below can go, then they have an exciting path ahead of them.
9/10
Darker Colors releases on the 13th of October via self-release. Pre-order links for the EP can be found here.