“A touch like a blade to the skin.”
Pincer+ have witnessed quick and widespread success since their emergence in 2022. With their debut EP Hunting God Tapes Vol. 1: Violence, they made their bold introduction as a raw and unfiltered metalcore unit focused on delivering pummeling yet catchy riffs without succumbing to the overly polished “octanecore” production value that’s been plaguing the scene for some time. The ‘sequel’ for lack of a better term, Hunting God Tapes Vol. 2: Romance, remained steadfast in this approach, doubling down on the rawness of their core sound whilst flashing some new tricks, such as the rap-driven “Stuck in the Ceiling” which closed out the sophomore EP in left-field fashion.
In 2024, “Pulling Strings” comes seemingly out of nowhere (conveniently right around the same time as a controversial group in proximity), where Pincer‘s gritty, HM-2 pedal-worship sound would seemingly come to a close. Instead, Josh Ang and crew opt into a standardized nu metalcore sound that rides a line somewhere between said controversial band-that-shall-not-be-named and the thrown buzz that had been aggressively circulating on streaming units for a while around its respective time. While undoubtedly a solid track, it felt like the Hunting God Tapes formula had been abandoned rather prematurely, never quite getting its moment to shine in the limelight. Now, after a lengthy year-and-a-half-long wait since “Pulling Strings”, Pincer+ are ramping up to the release of Who Are You When No One’s Around, the Australian outfit’s debut full-length that, for every step taken forward, manages to take a step in the wrong direction, firmly finding itself stuck in a limbo of mediocrity and complacency.
What’s immediately apparent is that Pincer+ have fortunately tapped back into their abrasive production value, returning earnestly to the grinding and distorted tones of Hunting God era. Accompanying this is a clear and most welcome evolution in Josh Ang‘s playing, as tracks such as “Yours to Erase” feature more technical and nuanced riffing compared to the ‘caveman’ precedent set on prior releases. Furthermore, Pincer+ continue to exercise a certain temperament; despite such a dense and saturated soundscape, the band knows to avoid overstaying their welcome, as each track bears a forgiving, brief runtime.
Yet, in spite of everything, Pincer+ continue to get right, there’s an overarching sense of derivativeness present on Who Are You When No One’s Around. Songs such as “Blue Light Overdose”, “Cold Frame”, and” Hard 2 Kill” are the crux of the record, encompassing a baseline nu metalcore style that feels uninspired. Without Josh Ang’s signature guitar scrape kicking off “Cold Frame,” this handful of songs would have hardly any distinctive character. Even its title feels derivative of another album occupying a similar space that I reviewed a year or so ago. Had such an album come out sooner, it may have been more digestible; however, the metal scene is rapidly evolving, and I fear the spotlight has long since turned away from the nu metalcore style that ran rampant in the early 2020s. While the performances may be enhanced, there simply isn’t enough ‘new’ here to quell the fatigue, even as deeper cuts such as ” e n d l e s s” and the titular closer deviate from the formula slightly. “Yours to Erase” also features some rap samples akin to the likes of “Stuck in the Ceiling”, only I can’t help but feel as though they’re a little shoehorned in this context, added on just for the sake of fulfilling a creative quota rather than acting as a tasteful integration into the core songwriting, as these ideas seem to clash with some of the technical, pseudo-melodic riffing present in the track’s second half that could’ve made for a solid track on its own with some expansion.
The final title track weaves the shoegaze influences of “e n d l e s s” more tastefully into Pincer’s signature style, delivering a notably strong closer to an album that’s otherwise largely forgettable. Even at its lowest points, Who Are You When No One’s Around is hardly offensive. The album isn’t an outright artistic failure; it simply comes across as a relic of another era, comfortable in its own lane and rarely willing to step beyond it. Calling it “terrible” or even “bad” feels disingenuous. Rather, it’s mostly just… fine. Aside from a few standout riffs that make it clear Josh Ang has been honing his personal craft, this debut, though competent, does little to meaningfully advance beyond what came before. Whatever diehard fanbase Pincer+ have accrued in their brief tenure so far may find some elements to cling to, and there’s still ample time for the band to adjust their direction since they’re still in the grassroots stage of their career. But for now, what they’re offering is essentially just an okay rendition of an already tired sound that’s practically begging to be put to rest once and for all.
6/10
Who Are You When No One’s Around arrives Friday, December 12th, via Greyscale Records, and you can pre-order it here.