The Pitch: Exciting, new progressive metalcore from Scarlet Dress, featuring members from the US and India. FFO: Periphery, Architects, Polaris
What I Like: I was lamenting towards the end of last year that there is a serious drought in terms worthwhile metalcore, and that trend seems to be continuing into 2019. But never fear, leave it to newcomers Scarlet Dress to save us all from mediocrity. Pressing play on "Nucleus" was, to put it plainly, a "Thank the Lord" experience. This track has it all: killer djenty hooks, catchy singing, a very deathcoreish breakdown, and even some impressive mathcore noodling. The combination of those last two elements in particular brings out the Periphery comparisons and should serve as a welcome appetizer as we await P4. The songwriting and overall presentation are nothing new, but these days coming across bands that get it right can be like finding a needle in a haystack. As such, listening to Endless fills me with excitement and hope for the future. If mathcore can have a resurgence, hopefully bands like Scarlet Dress can restore the metalcore label to its former glory as well. And while some are going to groan about the markedly poppier approach of closing track "Empty Breathing," I'm still enjoying the Coheed and Cambria catchiness.
Critiques: The clean singing could use a little work. I think it adds to their overall sound, but the quality doesn't quite match the polish of everything else.
The Verdict: Even better than finding a great release in a largely dying genre is doing so with a complete unknown. Endless is an impressive release in its own right, but even moreso considering that it's a debut effort. With your support and some further investment in singing and production, the possibilities for Scarlet Dress are... endless. Engage maximum cringe (it was worth it).
Flight's Fav's: Nucleus, Limerence, Withdrawn (feat. Jordan Chase)
- Review by FlightOfIcarus
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