Catharsis. It’s one of the things that makes us most human. The release of emotion, both joyous and dissonant, is vital to a healthy and fulfilling life, but finding the perfect way to process those feelings and get them out of your system in a constructive way can prove difficult. Counterparts, though, have mastered it, and this, their fourth full-length, feels like their most therapeutic collections of heartbroken anthems yet.

Where Counterparts excel is in the directness and sincerity of their music. Nothing is left to chance. Nothing is too personal or dark or hard to stomach. They let everything out and leave no stone unturned. It was going to be difficult to match the brutality of 15’s ‘Tragedy Will Find Us’ but somehow the band have once again surpassed everything that has come before. Every riff hits like a sucker punch to the kidney. Every ear shredding vocal refrain rips your heart in two with its sheer intensity. Every single second of near perfect melodic-hardcore is as vital, affecting and sincere as the last.

‘Swim Beneath My Skin’ courses through your veins like sweet venom, while the utter dishevelment of ‘Rope’ and ‘Arms Like Teeth’ will make your head feel heavy with heartache. It all makes for a tender, honest and brilliantly engrossing listen.

Not many other bands do it like Counterparts do it. ‘You’re Not You Anymore’ is the sort of album that clings to you like tar and is hard to get out of your system. If you need to let go, then this half hour of utter desolation will do you the world of good. Switch on, crank the volume and dive in.

4/5

‘You’re Not You Anymore’ by Counterparts is released on 22nd September on Pure Noise Records.

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Words by Jack Rogers (@JackMRog)