“Well, I’m not gonna leave you alone. I want you to get mad!“
If you’ve been paying attention to the UKHC scene over the last couple of years, chances are you’ve come across East Anglia’s very own BIND. a couple of times now, whether intentional or not. One of the scene’s most promising up-and-coming hardcore acts, they find themselves in a unique position in that they seem to be able to flex and fit in on any lineup; something that’s allowed them to steadily widen their fanbase outside of that of the Carhartt-beanie-wearing crowd that we’re all too used to seeing at hardcore shows. Now looking to further expand upon their sound and truly establish themselves as scene mainstays, the band finds themselves gearing up to drop their sophomore EP, War In Heaven, which comes packaged under the sparkly guise of label Betrayed By Life Records, to which the band recently signed to.
Short and sweet doesn’t really do War In Heaven the justice it deserves. There’s nothing sweet here; in fact, it’s a barrage of pummelling drums, panic-chords, and barked vocals that persists for the entire twelve-minute runtime. A lengthy intro track, “And There Was…” feels built for live sets. Sampling 1976’s Network, BIND. outright tells us what we’re in for: pure, unfiltered aggression. “Panic Dressed as Muscle Memory” delivers on just that, with vocalist Jacob Armstrong never letting up, pouring anger and anguish into every single word. This, combined with the unceasing symbol clashes and menacing, chugging guitars, leaves you encased within the soundscape. Oppressing and commanding like the presence of a drill instructor, you can’t help but follow along and feel the instrumentals commanding you to move.
“Hatred’s Arrival” expands upon this, with much more menacing guitar work creeping in throughout the duration. Akin to their contemporaries in Long Goodbye, the guitars dictate the atmosphere across the entirety of the track. Kicking things off with a more commonplace two-steppable rhythm, the track steadily degrades, moving away from the more danceable sound into something eerie and otherworldly. Armstrong’s lyricism here shines through above all else, with the line “you can’t take from me when there’s nothing left” feeling particularly poignant. There’s a very clear narrative unfolding across this EP, and it’s one fraught with pain and anger. Closing track “The Cost Was Always Flesh” then acts as a conclusion of sorts, bringing us back around to where things began. Full of callbacks to previous tracks whilst being an entirely new beast, it’s on this track where it feels that BIND. truly cement themselves as upcoming titans. Still every bit as irate as what’s come before, it feels that on this track, BIND. are truly driving home the narrative being told, all whilst seamlessly flowing between a plethora of styles in a way which we’re not used to seeing such fresh-faced acts pull off.
Of course, all of this is great on paper, but what actually sets this apart from other bands? Thankfully, having seen BIND. perform most of, if not all of these tracks, a handful of times now, the answer is abundantly clear to us. It’s their translation to a live setting. Every bit as fantastic as they are in an EP setting, these tracks transform into behemoths in a live set, with limbs being flung all around, plenty of hardcore dancing, and no end of shouting back at the stage from onlookers. BIND. have perfected their live sound, and whilst they’re unlikely to admit it, they are really onto something here. Having had the pleasure to catch these tracks at both Stormfest and Burn It Down earlier in the year, there’s no doubt in our minds that War In Heaven is the band’s best material to date.
The EP isn’t without its flaws, though, with the primary issue being its runtime. Of course, it’s an EP, so it’s supposed to be relatively short; however, with it essentially consisting of three tracks and an instrumental intro, it’s hard not to come away wishing that there were one or two additional tracks thrown in to pad things out a bit. A minor gripe to have, given that each track is great in its own right, but a feeling which a handful of us expressed nonetheless. Quality over quantity is said all too often, and in this case, it seems that BIND. have followed it to a T, which, though we’re complaining about it, is something that far too many artists seem to forget.
8/10
War In Heaven releases this Friday via Betrayed By Life Records and will be available for purchase on CD and cassette shortly after.