Capsize have really pulled it out of the bag with this one.

After the straight-up catharsis of 14’s ‘Angst In My Veins’, ‘A Reintroduction’ is truly a breath of fresh air. There’s a feeling that the band have been listening to a lot of ‘In Love And Death’ during the recording sessions as moments throughout the album give off a distinct air of The Used, which is by no means a bad thing. Drawing influence from all the right places, the addictively unhinged state of The Used’s early efforts mixed with the desolating sadness and angst you can expect from Capsize makes for a cocktail of devastating yet delightfully invigorating proportions.

‘I Think It’s Best We Don’t Talk Anymore’ fizzles with infectiously distraught hits of venom, ’Tear Me Apart’ is sprinkled with tinkering drum samples and tectonic blasts of fury while the hate filled 1-2 of ‘Split My Soul’ and ‘Over You’ hit with blasts of deep set heartbreak and almost pop like licks. It all demonstrates a newfound maturity within Capsize and the need to break away from the pack and be their own band, free of convention and construct.

Overall, Capsize have gathered up all of their strengths, reassessed their aims and put their all into an album that is unlike any other melodic hardcore effort of its ilk. Still unapologetically vicious but with a new layer of melody and experimentation, the band sound revitalised but most importantly still ravenous. ‘A Reintroduction’ is more than just a title, it is a statement of intent. It is one that sheds any baggage that the band have collected and delivers a sound that puts them back in contention as one of the most exciting assets of the genre right now. If you were ever shortsighted enough to write Capsize off, rethink your stance and get lost in this. You won’t regret it.

4/5

‘A Reintroduction: The Essence Of All That’ by Capsize is released on July 22nd on Rude Records (UK)/Equal Vision Records (US).

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Words by Jack Rogers (@JackMRog)