“Does it mean that you’re just like me?“
The act of being ruthless in the nu-core scene has turned into an artform over recent years. The emergence of acts such as Heavensgate, Pincer+, and Break Fifty took the blunt instrumentation of a genre that had put forward in acts such as Gift Giver and Yüth Forever and turned it into a space that has now put forward some more than credible records. Achieved by blending in elements of hardcore, mathcore and even cybergrind, nu-core is a genre that on the surface can perhaps be keen to sing from the same hymn sheet. Yet now as Angel Shot show on their debut record, god is not a safe space, there is much more variety for those who delve into the nu-core and its sounds.
Since they emerged in the embers of 2024 with single “Gate of Mercy”, featuring mollyparton, Angel Shot have evidently had one mission in mind: to have a sound of unleashed fury and violence. Lyrics such as “I remember, everything you fucking said”, are delivered with a snarl. Such verbiage is akin to reading as a judge delivering the last rites, while the jagged and cruel instruments behind deliver final punishment. With guitar riffs that will chew your ear off, that in many other instances would perhaps put listeners off, are present throughout Angel Shot’s dark mannerisms. Now a main feature of their debut EP, “Gate of Mercy” is a blunt instrument to the head.
The EP itself opens with rager “most hated”. It is one that will feel most familiar to listeners of Pincer+, except in this instance Angel Shot don’t shy away from a heavier handed production. Every strum and scream of Angel Shot, which carries throughout the EP, is meant to be heard in its rawest expression. The pitch chords aren’t meant to sound pleasant like they do in other records, and there is evidently an intention from the outset to make the listener feel intermittently uncomfortable. This very notion is too often shied from by other artists in similar genres.
The veil is fully kicked down as “stray” enters. Parallel in rage to the deathcore revival sound going around, it is the sort of track that makes you want to rip the nearest door off its hinges. As mentioned, the beefy production gives it a sheer edge that may not give much in the way of replay value, but will nonetheless capture every inch of the mind. Furthermore, drafting in Soulkeeper for what is possibly, and probably will be, the heaviest breakdown of the year, is a grand choice for a feature.
Underneath it all is perhaps how perfectly Angel Shot put forward inner emotions that can be felt and heard. As “Purgatory”’s rapid vocals race between “Until I’m screaming, maybe I should give into my demons” and “I felt nothing from your tender kiss, or the rusty blade between my ribs”, the mind can unravel and delve. Being the most blunt and brutal of tracks across god is not a safe space, it expresses the rage and distorted nature that can be individualistically encompassed. “gods favorite” shows the exit ramp, delivering the most expansive moments whilst still yearning on the record’s inner grief and hurt. The layered in clean vocals, while at first impression may sound obtuse, depart the record on a perfectly chaotic note.
On the surface, Angel Shot might just be another nu-core band who can be passively listened to. Yet for the attentive and those willing to pay mind to what has been put forward here, they will find that Angel Shot have produced one of the most true-to-the-genre records. Taking the harsh and uncomfortable nature of the likes of Darke Complex and adding the instrumentality of modern hardcore and a touch of metalcore, it crafts a record that has both the force and rawness to be something grandiose. Angel Shot’s record isn’t one to be listened to, but rather an album that is heard in all its nature.
8/10
god is not a safe space is out June 13th via independent release.