“Loving you is too much hesitation.”
sace6 is one of the more exciting up-and-coming names in the heavy music scene today. The duo initially started as a solo project of lead singer Sace, later teaming up with guitarist-vocalist Noah Thomas to form their current iteration. Blending elements of pop, R&B, metalcore, thall, shoegaze, and many more, their sound harmoniously blends styles that should otherwise clash. The duo have picked up a fair bit of traction since the release of their 2025 EP, Limerance, and they follow it up this year with their debut full-length, brutalist.
sace6 immediately caught my ear the moment I was introduced to them with Limerance. The EP’s hooks are infectiously catchy, and it swings for surprisingly heavy moments unrelentingly. It showcased a nearly fully realised version of the duo’s sound. brutalist as a whole establishes the duo’s sound and cements it. The first single “ego” had a noticeably tighter approach to their songwriting. The audaciously bendy main riff was a statement of an opening for the track. Sace’s iconically smooth vocals punctuate the verses with undeniable character and are definitely a standout feature of the duo’s sound. The soaring falsettos into belted vocals on the chorus pair with the heavy, bend-ridden riffs surprisingly well. There’s a certain intentionality to the combination of sounds that doesn’t feel gimmicky, and it’s refreshing to see this done so well.
The album’s sound mainly stays within the perimeters established by the singles; this is hardly to its detriment. While perhaps, it has space to push beyond its boundaries, what it already offers is very much satisfying. “covet” for example displays a level of technicality in the guitar work that sets it apart from their contemporaries in this scene. Its hip-hop leaning intro feels like a creative misdirection as the track launches into much heavier bendy riffs when it hits the chorus. You might be inclined to lump this track under the “baddiecore” (what a stupid name) umbrella, but “covet” offers a level of detail that most in the category do not offer.
The blending of genres is very much a focal point of the album and by extension, sace6’s sound. Opener track “besotted” begins on pensive piano notes and booming drum machine beats. The dark pop leanings lead into a heavily electronic-focused section that is reminiscent of Bad Omens’ current style before launching into the duo’s signature heavy guitars. The buildup and the payoff of the track is undeniably well executed, and its genre-fluid nature is used in unison for this singular purpose of cohesiveness. “basorexia” leans heavily into trap influences on its verses, using the weighty guitar riffs almost like the “drop” of an EDM track. The concept of a metal song utilizing an EDM song structure is far from new, but “basorexia” pulls it off excellently.
There’s no more eloquent way I can think of to put this, so I’ll just say it as it is: sace6 makes some ridiculously catchy music. The chorus hooks paired with the heavy guitars that should not work is a combo that is repeated throughout the album, yet it just never seems to get old. “reverie” has some of my favourite vocal melodies on the entire record. It sees return collaborator jxdn feature on the track, who previously was on “velvet” on the previous EP. He contributes his signature pop punk / emo vocal stylings to the mix to contrast with Sace’s more R&B leaning sensibilities. The vocal melodies just have a certain je ne sais quoi that make them so captivating. The track’s breakdown is almost absurdly punchy compared to the rest of the track with its thally bends and thumping chugs, but it somehow fits in seamlessly.
“uneven” and “dolorous” see the album take a softer slant, with the former using a more stripped back approach. Thomas’ screamed vocals in the latter half of the track pair with the atmospheric post-rock and synth textures, creating a feeling of emotional release even in the contrast. The intro of “dolorous” is almost reminiscent of Porter Robinson’s style with its chopped-up vocal samples. The lush piano tones that are the backbone of the track aid in its slow-burn approach, employing atmospheric soundscapes in a similar manner to “uneven”. There’s generally a risk taken when taking a softer, more pop-focused direction on a heavy album, often sounding contrived or pointless, but here, they feel purposeful and characterised by a wistfulness that fits the theme of the album.
Conversely, the album also swings in a heavier direction with “nephente”. The feral and raw screamed vocals of the intro are a tad misleading as it leads into a more poppy, R&B direction initially in the first verse. There’s somewhat of a sense of delayed gratification as the thally guitars finally hit on the chorus. Thomas’ screams are genuinely unhinged and I do wish they were utilized a lot more on the track. It’s still a great track, but it could have let loose a fair bit more. “fabulist” ends up fulfilling that desire, fully leaning into the thall guitars and showcasing some gnarly low screams from Thomas. The absolutely filthy guitar tone goes unfathomably hard with its slamming chugs and sharp dissonant spikes. The blackened, blast beat section in the middle of the track is rather unprecedented for sace6, fully committing to the heavy side of their sound in all its glory. It’s also the only track to feature no clean vocals. “fabulist” is sace6’s heaviest track by far and an excellent proof of concept; I hope they lean into the sound more in the future.
The album finds its conclusion with “perdify”. The track very much does what the album has already done, but of course executed in a satisfying manner. Swinging back into more familiar territory after some more experimental tracks feels fitting for the closer. The album thus far has been about a complex relationship, and “perfidy” sees the record end on a note of wistful longing. The fact that the duo’s formula still doesn’t feel exhausted by this point is a testament to how well executed their style is, and they truly have found their niche on brutalist.
In this subsection of the heavy music scene where most bands can feel inauthentic or uninspired in their sound, sace6 presents something unique. The sound of brutalist is very much still accessible and has mass appeal, but it offers so much more in the way of creativity and originality, especially when compared to similar bands in the space. The duo has used their strengths to their best effect here and have created a sound that is memorable and undeniably them. There is definitely still space for further experimentation and I hope sace6 continue to push the boundaries of their sound, but as it stands, brutalist is leagues above the current standard for accessible heavy music.
8.5/10
brutalist releases on the 8th of May via Sumerian Records. Pre-order and merch links for the album can be found here.