“The world never needed false fucking idols, I am your favourite fallen son.“
Sometimes a release comes along where the artist manages to capture lightning in a bottle. It’s a rare occurrence, but one that feels entirely special for those who manage to stumble upon it at the time. In these cases, it’s pretty typical for the band to be small and often overlooked, either fading into obscurity or finally being given their flowers years down the line. With their sophomore release, weaving together my afterlife, awaywithroses may well find themselves falling into one of these categories.
Teetering on the edge of screamo and full-blown emoviolence, Alberta natives awaywithroses had already proven they possess something special when their debut EP, My Involvement With Witchcraft, dropped earlier in the year, and weaving together my afterlife only looks to expand upon that. In fact, I’d go as far as saying that My Involvement With Witchcraft walked so that weaving together my afterlife could run. In only 15 minutes, awaywithroses showcase a penchant for hauntingly erratic screamo that stays with you long after it’s concluded.
The majority of weaving together my afterlife consists of pure, unrelenting anger, with vocalist Colten delivering shrieking screams with an almost otherworldly quality to them. There’s a shrill harshness to these screams that allows them to consistently punch through and work their way into your mind. They’re unnerving, unusual, and unavoidable. This, when paired with the EP’s lyricism, leads to a listening experience that leaves you wanting to sit alone in a dark room for a while and ponder what’s led you to this point.
“The Counterbalance of Transience” will feel immediately familiar to any modern metalcore fan, with instrumentals reminiscent of the likes of Killing Me Softly or perhaps Crowquill. Despite this, neither this track nor anything else on the EP feels like an imitation of anybody else. It’s all wholly unique and, whilst rooted in one specific sound, draws from its influences without becoming derivative. “you will be killed by me after all“, on the other hand, finds the Canadian outfit leaning more towards the style of their contemporaries in A Mourning Star, with riffs ebbing and flowing, enhancing the impact of the vocals and heightening the overall toll the track takes on the listener.
Then there’s the closer, “To Effect and Be Affected“. Simply put, this track is beautiful. A standout moment on the release, it takes things in a completely different direction, becoming much more low-key, with stripped-back guitars and low, pulsing drum beats slowly pushing along behind soft-spoken vocals akin to some of Gatherers‘ softer moments, or perhaps even American Football. There’s a layer of sadness to it all, which explodes into life when Colten erupts into erratic screams around the midpoint, with the instrumentals following suit. My one criticism here? The track ends too soon. Though it’s absolutely a standout moment, I couldn’t help but feel that perhaps a longer, more drawn-out outro would have allowed them to close out the EP a little more effectively. As it stands, it’s quite abrupt and, though that may well be intentional, it does feel a tad odd.
Overall, weaving together my afterlife will stand out for many reasons. Whether it be the refreshing take on the genre or the iconically unique vocal stylings, there’s a lot to be said about it. Whilst I wish it were a bit longer, and perhaps a tad more varied at times, it’s hard to grumble at anything we’ve been given here. Two EPs in quick succession are an impressive feat, let alone when the quality of the follow-up is this strong.
If you’re a fan of screamo, or even remotely into emoviolence or metalcore, awaywithroses will probably have something for you. There’s still plenty for this band to explore within their sound, and whether you were a bigger fan of their debut or sophomore effort, there’s no doubt that when the time comes for a full-length release, they’ll deliver on all fronts. weaving together my afterlife is a showcase; it demonstrates that the band has more to give, and they’re only just getting started.
