vote
7.0
- Bands:
NO TREATMENTS - Duration: 00:20:00
- Available from: 06/12/2024
- Label:
-
Sharptone Records
Streaming not yet available
No Cure's new EP, “I Hope I Die Here,” represents a firm step in the American hardcore/metal band's upward trajectory. First release for the SharpTone Records label, the work consolidates the name of the band originally from Alabama in an increasingly vast and dispersive panorama, proposing a mixture of extremely heavy metalcore, punctually enriched by profound thrash and death metal influences.
Although comparisons with Knocked Loose are sometimes inevitable, No Cure also in this outing try to circumvent the most obvious formulas, preferring to build songs around nervous series of riffs, rather than relying exclusively on those breakdowns which in this environment always have great fortune.
The opening with “Hang Me From the Bible Belt” is quite emblematic: a piece with Slayerian tones, with a structure that balances aggression, order and cohesion. It is perhaps the most 'linear' moment of the EP, an introduction that prepares the listener for the controlled chaos that will follow. Each subsequent track is in fact an unpredictable experience, in which the group manages to insert various registers – and, fortunately, some memorable moments – even in the most convulsive compositions. The death-thrash influences emerge with particular strength, giving depth and density to the sound. However, it is now clear that No Cure wants to find their own path, with rhythmic developments that defy expectations without ever sacrificing power.
However, a distinctive element of “I Hope I Die Here” is the extensive use of guests, who above all broaden the vocal range of the EP. These contributions, while offering variety, are sometimes too dominant, risking fragmenting the overall experience. It's a shame, because No Cure prove that they don't need too much external help to get noticed: their sonic identity is already quite clear and frontman Blaythe Steuer appears to have a rather versatile tone. If on the one hand the featurings can therefore give the idea of adding dynamism, on the other, being present in every single episode, they can also distract attention and undermine the cohesion of the album a little.
Finally, the EP is also interesting on a thematic level: according to the group, it is in fact a declaration of love and hate towards Alabama and the South of the United States. The band tackles complex and personal issues, such as religious pressure, the toxic dynamics of fraternity culture and ecological exploitation, with an approach that seems to avoid the clichés of the genre.
Despite remaining reluctant to release a real album, No Cure demonstrate that they know how to transmit their energy even in the studio. Despite the impression that the band is designed for the stage, “I Hope I Die Here” is not a side work: it is a concentration of intensity that involves from start to finish, especially if approached as a single episode.
Daniel D`Amico for SANREMO.FM
