Politically driven, outspoken and angry. Mancunian hardcore punk outfit, Hometruths, vent their frustrations with the current state of global affairs on their debut EP ‘Open Your Eyes’.
Things open with ‘Embers’, which serves as an introduction somewhat with its slightly lo-fi approach, but it’s only a small sample of what the rest of this release holds. Lead single ‘Feral’ follows with solo drop-tuned guitars before a sonic assault of raw aggression from the quintet. The track also sees the band displaying some of their technical prowess, showing a hint of adaptability not often found within the genre. Vocalist Gaz Davies expresses his disgust with modern life and the world we inhabit, and for every bit as political Hometruths are, they’re equally as heavy. ‘Divide’ is a no-nonsense, in your face hardcore juggernaut of a tune with a disgustingly heavy beatdown that is sure to resonate well with a live audience.
‘Vigilante’ is another ferocious track, littered with breakdowns and viscous riffs. Though it’s at this point where the tracks seamlessly blend into one another for the worse. With a band as politically fuelled as Hometruths the music can sometimes play second fiddle to the message, and perhaps this comes into play here. ‘WMD’ deviates from the previous efforts marginally, but it’s not engaging enough to keep you in touch with what’s important, the songs content. It’s fairly lacklustre and delivers nothing the preceding material hasn’t.
Whilst EP closer, ‘Genocide’ has some tremendous riffs thrown in, it also seems to just pass you by. It packs a variety of beatdowns within its structure, but none of them feel like they bring the track to a fitting climax.
’Open Your Eyes’ is a well-written dispute with the world, even if perhaps musically it falls short. Hometruths don’t provide enough stimulation to endure the six tracks on offer, and at that point you lose focus on the songs outspoken political nature.
3/5
’Open Your Eyes’ EP by Hometruths is released on 3rd March on CI Records.
Hometruths links: Facebook|Twitter
Words by Ryan Wilson (@thrillcollins_)
