“I can’t be your sinner drowned in holy water.“
Operating of Michigan in the states, Of Virtue shot out the gates with previous record, What Define You, which put them on the map alongside and saw them on multiple tours with Crystal Lake, The World Alive and Make Them Suffer, as well as performing at the UK’s own Tech Fest. Now, the band line up their first release with the ever-expanding label, Arising Empire. With their latest EP, Sinner, Of Virtue look to smoothen the rough edges of their previous records and plant themselves alongside some of their counterparts as a staple within the genre, whilst also retaining their own outlook and stylings as a point of note for listeners.
Comprised of four tracks and running just under 13 minutes, Sinner‘s aim is a short burst of tracks that will be the starting gun for Of Virtue’s next era. The EP does move Of Virtue into a far better produced and coherent sound, yet it’s difficult not to feel that perhaps the EP is chasing a sound that’s come and gone; the anthem-style choruses feel emblematic of the sound that emerged between 2016-18 and saw the creation and progression of bands such as Bad Omens and Inertia. Both aforementioned bands have proceeded to develop their own stylistic sound since, and that identity is what Sinner as an EP truly lacks.
The layered in electronics accompanied by the anthemic choruses have become all too familiar within metalcore and alt-rock. Too often the EP pivots on lyrical tropes such as, “You open up the scars that I cauterize” and “Can you tell me is anybody out there?” While these vocal hooks are catchy on the surface, there’s a lack of substance. All of this isn’t to say that Sinner is a bad EP; it’s a serviceable release that offers a digestible listen. There’s just too little that feels fresh and exciting.
Of Virtue have the grace that their latest effort is limited to an EP, and there is the opportunity to flesh out and develop their own sound on what comes next. Currently their sound contains too many remnants of a bygone era that very few bands at the forefront of the genre still fully embrace. There is potential there with Of Virtue, especially with regards to the vocal performance, and their talent could certainly see them release some excellent material in future with a shift in focus. Whether or not that happens will have to come with Sinner‘s follow-up.
5/10
Sinner is out August 12th via Arising Empire and can be pre-ordered here.