Descender - And So We Marched EP

Descender hail from the left coast- Brooklyn, New York to be specific. Not exactly the area I think of when bringing to mind heavy, driving, and a bit rhythmic hardcore/post-hardcore (I'm also not mr. super current-affairs these days).

While I could sit and rattle of bands that were most likely an influence on this band (and it would be a damn fine list of bands, you can be sure of that), it's better to just get to it:

Descender bring a sound of heavy music that can appeal to anyone in the realms of loud music- it can collapse on you like a pile of shifting bricks just as fast as the drums can shift into a galloping beat that gives way to a well placed chopping and chugging riff.

Surely, Descender owes plenty to heavy post-hardcore stalwarts of the last 5-8 years, but it's clear they draw on many other influences in the punk/hardcore/indie world- taking cues from plenty of bands in the 80's and 90's and creating a tightly put together EP of 4 songs in 16 minutes. And I think that's where the songs begin to set themselves apart from many of the other newer bands in the pack- their length. While the songs have plenty of the things that lend themselves to thought evoking, emotion provoking music for late nights or long drives, they still reign in each track in under 5 minutes (with two at the 3 1/2 minute mark) without giving up anything. The ringing notes, slowing drums, build ups and explosions- its all still here.

The other thing that really sets this record apart for me is the vocals. I really like them. Lots of bands have chosen to go the instrumental route, and I dig that a lot. But, its always nice to see someone incorporate vocals and do it well. None of the vocals feel forced or out of place, and the sound works just right... screamed and a bit back in the mix to have an almost faint sound at times, the vocals blend and add, rather than demand notice. Hardcore and Punk colliding with all the right touches of Metal mixing in.

I lied, I will say one thing band specific... this brings to mind, at times, how I felt listening to the Restrained/the Separation split 12inch. Heavy, driving, and deliberate in its sound- but not so much so that it only appealed to a certain set of heavy music listeners.

Give the record a spin, its 16 minutes you will listen to over and over again.

Big thanks to George from Descender for submitting this-

DOWNLOAD: Descender "And So We Marched"

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