“A prayer unheard, I’ll find my place in a mass grave of saints.”
There have been few bands that have had the consistency and staying power than Counterparts, not only in melodic hardcore, but the wider metalcore umbrella as a whole. While many have diverted and changed their sound, Counterparts have consistently iterated and improved on their core sound over their 15 years as a unit, and for many that has resulted in holding them and their records close to their hearts. Whether Counterparts were discovered on YouTube through a crappy Windows Movie Maker lyric video for “Reflections”, or on their improved later material, their impact and following remains formidable.
Their latest record, A Eulogy For Those Still Here, comes with the weight of expectation given the quality and emotive presence of their previous records. Looking through and revisiting their discography, the potency of tracks like “Compass”, “Stranger” and “Outlier” still remain, evident by their enduring presence on set lists at live shows. In recent years, Counterparts have have honed their craft with barnburner records such as 2017’s You’re Not You Anymore and 2019’s Nothing Left To Love, with both records showing new and contrasting styles or the group, offering up a sharper version of the Counterparts sound, which has perhaps ushered in a quiet, almost unspoken new era.
With such a solid foundation in place and Counterparts seemingly finding their peak in songwriting and production on their recent records, this has given the quinet the footing to deliver what is arguably their finest record to date. One that sees them deliver a maturity in its introspectiveness and brings together the finest parts of their discography.
In its opening moments, A Eulogy For Those Still Here begins to set itself apart from its predecessors. “Whispers Of Your Death” and “Bound To The Burn” see Counterparts, and more specifically vocalist Brendan Murphy show an emotional vulnerability akin to that seen on 2014’s Tragedy Will Find Us. There is a grounded nature to these tracks wherein the emotions and experiences feel lived and avoid indulging too deep in metaphor and poetic verbiage.
“Bound To The Burn” displays the talent of returning guitarist Jesse Doreen, with the riffs being absolute earworms which compliment Murphy’s vocals exquisitely. It’s evident why they chose to debut this in their live setlist back in January, as the vocal hook of “Bound to the burn, my dedication dies. Let me leave, I’ve given enough,” certainly being one to shout back at Murphy. “Whispers Of Your Death” will need little explanation of its importance as a track, proving to be a beautiful and skillful track that is more than fitting in its execution to the topic at hand.
Put simply, title track “A Eulogy For Those Still Here” is a serenade, with Alex Re offering up a fantastic clean vocal performance, leaning more into the days of “Outlier”. Due to its catchy nature with its vocal hooks and subtle riffs, it is one that will surely become a go-to track on the record for avid fans. Further, there’s a harmony here between Murphy and Re’s vocals that gives it a standout element across the record as a whole.
One noteworthy improvement with A Eulogy For Those Still Here is Counterparts’ ability to draw back and switch the pace, with previous records being either relentless in their manner or opting to notch up the aggression. With “Skin Beneath A Scar” and “Soil II”, the seeds planted by previous closer “Nothing Left To Love” are seen to come to blossom. The aforementioned closer is an incredibly special track, it can be seen as rudimentary in its progression and structure. Rather than seeking to purely replicate it, extra layers within the chording and drum grooves that have been added on “Skin Beneath A Scar” and “Soil II” tie back to the band’s earlier work, providing a rewarding and heartfelt moment to those who love the original “Soil” that featured on 2013’s The Difference Between Hell And Home.
Interlaced within these tracks are “Unwavering Vow”, “Sworn To Silence”, and “Flesh To Fill Your Wounds”, with the former of which being the lead single for the record. While these tracks are difficult to fault from a technical perspective, they perhaps lean too much into the formula that was developed on Nothing Left To Love. The exception to this is “What Mirrors Might Reflect”, which is a two-footed tackle at the imposter-syndrome that sits within many. Lyrical content “Dissection of self, I ache to be anyone else” sticks in the craw, making for one of the most unnerving tracks that Counterparts have released to date.
This leaves the closer, “A Mass Grave Of Saints”, a final blow which follows on from the likes of “Solace” and “You’re Not You Anymore”. Counterparts have managed to get their closing moments down to an art. As A Eulogy’s closer cries out “I carve ‘goodbye’ with a fallen angel’s spine and watch the coffins close wishing one were mine,” it’s difficult not to be drawn in. While its lyrical content might be slightly on the nose, it seems this is one that will make for an incredible set closer on the upcoming Counterparts tours due to its raw emotional potency.
One of A Eulogy For Those Still Here’s core strengths is that it opens up more avenues to appreciate and enjoy Counterparts. While there is not the immediate raw emotion that was present across previous records, it is instead substituted with a thoughtful and profound level of expression that is accompanied with both the experience and maturity of the group who have put together a discography that could be described as nothing short of sublime.
My ultimate take away from the record is that Counterparts are entering their prime as a collective. With Murphy arguably being one of the finest songwriters in both his work here and with END, alongside stellar performances from Re, Doreen and Brownlee, Counterparts are a group that contains such a depth of talent that, if the unit remains together, they will continue to release and perform some of the best material that fans of this brand of metalcore will get to experience.
9/10
A Eulogy For Those Still Here is out October 7th via Pure Noise Records and can be pre-ordered here.