Being happy all the time is really hard. Have you tried smiling for more than a few minutes? It hurts. Sometimes you need a bit of anger to even things out. Counting Days get this. The band made up of members of some the UK scenes most loved mosh-bringers, including Heights, TRC and Last Witness, understand that anguish is a part of everyday life and bring plenty of it in the form of their hotly anticipated debut ‘Liberated Sounds’. The question is, behind the sadness is there some substance?
Well, yes. Very much so.
Popping eardrums from the get-go, ‘Burned By Faith’ brings Armageddon-level destruction thick and fast with pummeling beats and a roar that could strip paint from the walls. The consuming riffs and despondent strings of ‘Die Alone’ follow before ‘Beaten & Scarred’ continues the trend with concrete crushing bass and a desolating mood. Each slab of sound present on ‘Liberated Sounds’ is crafted with mayhem in mind and coated thickly in neck-breaking pace, uncomforting atmosphere and enough riffs to fill an Olympic level swimming pool.
The members of the band’s previous experience in each of their respective projects is on show to the fullest of their potential, with ignorance-doused drums clashing so chaotically with the most down beat of guitars and vocals. It’s a sound that harks back to the glory days of ‘00s metalcore while also managing to be completely on point and up to date. The monstrous stomp of ‘Fire From The Sky’ leaks viciously into the maliciously building ‘Days Go By’, all before ‘The Vines’ finally gives a moment to reflect and recover. The unbridled battery of ‘Prison Of Misery’, old school chug of ‘Cold Truth’ and old school fret fuckery of ‘Reunion’ sees things out in a piercing and unforgettable fashion, leaving your ears in a bloody mess and your head in a whirlwind of awe.
More than anything, ‘Liberated Sounds’ is an unrelenting, uncompromised and devastating assault on the senses. With layer upon layer of desolating noise cloaked in disconcerting misery and plenty of mosh fuel, Counting Days have helped to mark the UK back on the metalcore map, while also assuring the start of a long and sweaty time in the limelight.
4/5
‘Liberated Sounds’ by Counting Days is released on October 16th on Mascot Records.
Counting Days links: Facebook|Twitter|Bandcamp
Words by Jack Rogers (@JackMRog)
