Beartooth's first release is a furious and aggressive four song EP straight out of the Columbus, Ohio Hardcore scene. Each song is more vicious than the last and the EP has you headbanging the entire 15 minutes. I Have a Problem is the perfect opener complete with an intro that will have the listener anxious to hear when the guitars come in chugging. It is fast and doesn't let up for the entire duration of the song. Specifically, the lyrics of the first track stand out in their surprisingly meaningful and emotional expression from the lead singer (Caleb Shomo formerly of Attack Attack!). Scratch that... The lyrics on all of these tracks are simply raw emotion and come across great with the new and improved screams of Caleb. Guitar tones are grittier than ever and the drums are wickedly fast and loud to give listeners that raw hardcore sound that has been missing from the scene for quite some time. The underlying bass is surprisingly groovy at parts and comes through quite strong supporting the rest of the band. Go Be The Voice is another track that stands out and is in my opinion the best one on the EP. Caleb is at his best here combining his heavier lower screams with a melodic chorus that will have you learning the lyrics in no time. While there are clean vocals spread throughout the album, do not count this band out as an aggressive hardcore act. Caleb's voice is meant for this sound and the band does a great job at mixing melodic lines with sections dedicated to being heavy and getting the listeners moving in the pits.
All in all this is a wonderful EP that anyone who is a fan of hardcore or metal should check out. It is recorded with great quality and definitely shows that the hardcore music scene is not in any way fading out. I definitely recommend that you pick this one up!
Sick [EP] = 4.5/5
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