Review: Amora - Cutting Teeth (EP)
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| Label: Heading East Records |
They take their substance from early 2000s Post-Hardcore, yet they stay away from any Metal-elements or Breakdown-heavy stuff and that is simply refreshing. For sure, you gotta mention early TAKING BACK SUNDAY as an influence, and I also hear BRAND NEW, THURSDAY, TITLE FIGHT, RECOVER, SAOSIN circa "Translating the Name" or early KIDS NEAR WATER in this. As AMORA hail from Doylestown, Pennsylvania BALANCE AND COMPOSURE most definitely left a mark on their style too. There's a distinctive Hardcore-element present in their sound. The shouts are edgy and the instruments boil together some harsh, dramatic moments every now and then. In these moments AMORA remind me of the 2000s modern HC-wave of DEFEATER, VERSE or MODERN LIFE IS WAR and that is a unique take on the whole Post-Hardcore-shtick. They're able to move back and forth between these harder sequences and hymnic, forgiving parts with beautiful sung vocal harmonies in the style of TBS or BALANCE AND COMPOSURE - just check out a cut like "Stay Pony, Golden Boy" (yeah, you got the reference!) for further prove.
What absolutely makes "Cutting Teeth" one of the best EPs of the year is AMORA's songwriting. It's the total opposite of what I implied at first. There is no simple structure to be found anywhere. Four of the five songs are 4+ minutes long and they turn around, change tempi, change the mood, and change the volume in every possible situation, yet they always maintain an awesome flow that drags you in whatever the cost. Ultimately these five songs are those kind of songs you'll hear for the tenth or twentieth time but still you don't get them a hundred percent and therefor they remain challenging and get you engaged for a long time. This is an early killer release for Mascherino's new label and if I'd be cheeky I'd claim that this EP is better than anything TBS have ever done. But I never was like that, eh?!
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