Extended Play 2022

EPs are a strange format. One strange thing about them is the way different artists interpret them. Where one band puts out a lengthy, well thought-through EP with the potential to become an LP, other bands beat three tracks in five minutes at you and while you're still having a shower you suddenly ran out of music. 

Also the status of said format varies a lot. In the perception of a band as well as in my own. Personally I've always been a lover of the LP-format. It doesn't matter how good all of those EPs in my lifetime were, few I consider a real "classic". Still, the format has its pros, especially in rapid times like these. When I have the feeling that I don't have much time, I rather put on a 7-minutes-EP than a 40+ minutes album. Also, the EP-format became a lot more popular with the whole digitization of our music consumption. 

...with that being said, I'm surprised how many awesome full lengths were put out in 2022. It was no real competition (LP vs. EP) this time around, though I still came up with a pretty good list of my favourite EPs.

xxx

Runner-Ups: 

AGAINST REALISM // The End of the Beginning
CAGES // Second Thoughts
DANDELION // Dandelion
MORBIDEITY // Ravishing Impurity
ORIGAMI ANGEL // DEPART
VOLCANO // Fool 2 tha Game
VOTIVE // Wilting

xxx

30 // CLIQUE // Looters in Paradise

[DIY]

Really solid, metallic Hardcore with (former) members of TRAPPED UNDER ICE, CHILDREN OF GOD, GRAF ORLOCK & POWER ALONE. 

29 // WITHOUT LOVE // Surrender

[Footlose/Modern Illusion/Ugly and Proud]

New band out of the UK embracing the era of MORE THAN LIFE, DEFEATER, DEAD HEARTS and MODERN LIFE IS WAR. A promising debut for everyone into this kind of Melodic Hardcore!

28 // SINKING // Misshapen World
[Patient Zero Records]

SINKING are part of the new wave of Emo-bands calling to mind classic like SUNNY DAY REAL ESTATE, MINERAL or CHRISTIE FRONT DRIVE. They sound urgent and rough enough to get this special kind of feeling across. On top of that, I really like the artwork of the EP!

27 // AMITIE // Over this Bullshit
[Illuminate my Heart/Larry/No Funeral Records]

It was a good year for Screamo, and AMITIÉ's 3-song-sprint "Over this Bullshit" stands as a testament. The band out of Providence, RI doesn't reinvent the wheel, but they do a solid job at keeping you busy. From emotional singing to screamy blasts to cool OFF MINOR-moments, the range is pretty solid. 

26 // LUGUBER // Tabula Rasa

[DIY]

LUGUBER put their home country of Suriname on the Hardcore-map with "Tabula Rasa". They reminded me of very old, metallic Hardcore of the 90s and that was kinda refreshing. With the turntablism of the intro and the slow closer they showed different sites to them, thus I'm curious where they're going with their next output! [Review]

25 // YOU SHOULD BE WITH US // 

Expressing what we felt

[New Morality Zine/Delayed Gratification Records]

The trend may be small, but there are more and more bands bringing the Revolution Summer-style of RITES OF SPRING and EMBRACE or the early Emocore of TURNING POINT back in the game. YOU SHOULD BE WITH US out of Cleveland, Ohio are one of them and their EP sounds surprisingly crisp for a debut effort. Let's keep an eye on these gentlemen!

24 // REBELMATIC // Mourning Dove
[DIY]

Honestly, this was a slight disappointment for me, with REBELMATIC putting out my AOTY two years ago. On "Mourning Dove" they take a more light and melodic approach opposed to the darker, more urgent stuff from the last album. While the EP didn't get me a 100%, I still like these songs, especially "Walk on Water" and the different sounding "Sun go down".

23 // STRANGE JOY // 5 Tracks
[Coreruption Records]

If STRANGER JOY continue how they started, then they will become bigger in the years to come. Their brand of melodic, wave-y Hardcore with lots of similarities to DRUG CHURCH perfectly fits into the now!

22 // GHOST FAME // Nobody wants to be here, nobody wants to leave

[DIY]

If you consider the quality of this EP, then GHOST FAME's debut got totally lost in the shuffle. They may not revolutionize Melodic Hardcore akin to DEFEATER and VERSE, but they do a damn good job of presenting their own interpretation. Their style is diverse too, as they even stick their nose into Metalcore (the end of "False Chevalier") or try their best at an Emo-ballad ("In Mourning"). 

21 // AGAINST REALISM // In Perpetuity
[DIY]

AGAINST REALISM is an inherent part of the Bedroom Skramz-community, that was thriving in 2022. It was also the year, where the Australian (now residing in Tokyo, Japan) found his footing, putting out a Demo and two succeeding EPs. His last one, called "In Perpetuity" is his best work yet. Personally I dig the softer approach very much, eventhough the arist stays true to his original intention of creating experimental, spazzed out Electro-Skramz.

20 // BUG HEAVEN // We love to live in Hell
[DIY]

The artwork screams "New Wave-Emo", and it's pretty much like that, but with some little tweaks. BUG HEAVEN lean more on the Pop-Punk-site of things and even remind me of BLINK-182 (might just be the voice) or some other bands of the Bubblegum-phase. The one thing that let's them stand out is the talent of Drew Shuck as a lyricist and songwriter. There are some gems on here, especially the title track is a banger! [Review]

19 // THE ARRIVAL NOTE // The Arrival Note

[Sunday Drive Records]

This young band out of Florida skyrocketed to the top of the new wave of Midwest-Emo in 2022. If you're into legends like SUNNY DAY REAL ESTATE or TEXAS IS THE REASON you'll most likely be into THE ARRIVAL NOTE. The production of these four songs might polarize, as it's really rough around the edges. To me, it adds to the oldschool feeling these guys spread in tons. I'm more than happy that new bands carry on this legacy!

18 // YEARNING // MMXXII
[No Funeral Records]

Over the years, Canada produced some of the best Screamo-bands of their time. I'm thinking of UNION OF URANUS, ONE EYED GOD PROPHECY, BREAKWATER, BRAIN FEVER or FOXMOULDER. YEARNING continue this tradition, and sound like some of these bands, with their fast and thrilling Emoviolence, the moody, downtuned guitars and the overall intensity. I'm a sucker for this kind of Screamo, and YEARNING definitely feel it too...

17 // GUARDRAILS // If you please
[Irish Voodoo Records]

Somehow I wasn't too much into pure HC this year, yet GUARDRAILS' "If you please" was pretty appealing to me. Their concept-EP about "the personal and worldly struggles of mental health, suicide & anger management" is everything I want from modern Hardcore: Not too long and powerful songs, rockin' riffs, some mosh, a few moody melodies, a vivid vocal-delivery, and memorable lyrics. 

16 // FAIRWEATHER // Deluge
[Equal Vision/Rude Records]

This was a positive surprise to me. Coming off their Emo-Rock/Pop-Punk-past in the early 2000s and a rather pointless comeback album in 2014, FAIRWEATHER reinvented themselves in 2022. They kinda sound like if THRICE would decide to play Post-Rock and that's a cool thing, especially cause they spent some effort producing these tracks. It's a mixed bag tho, but the opener and the closer are pretty strong, and the instrumentation is impressive throughout. [Review]

15 // THANK YOU DRIVER // 

Nothing you do can stop this

[Zegema Beach Records]

While I'm not into all of Hardcore's chaotic, mathy, progressive stuff, I more than appreciate DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN's "Calculating Infinity"... and that's where THANK YOU DRIVER come into play, as their 3-song-EP very much feels like this record. You could throw in early THE NUMBER TWELVE LOOKS LIKE YOU too, just for the Screamo-connection. It's 6 minutes of getting crazy and fuckin' everything up. And that's all you gotta do sometimes...

14 // BONE IDL // Woe Now!
[DIY]

The one thing I did, after listening the first time to BONE IDL's "Woe Now!", was going back to their debut from last year. I felt that something went missing since its release, but eventually the new songs grew on me in the last couple of weeks. The choruses might not be as strong, but just show me a band in 2022 doing the 90s Pop-/Melodic/Skate-Punk-formula any better?

13 // ORIGAMI ANGEL // re: turn

[Counter Intuitive Records]

While their attempt at metallic Hardcore in the form of "DEPART" was surprisingly well done, it wasn't something I associate ORIGAMI ANGEL with. "re: turn" is more like it, especially cause I love the duo's sentiment, the singing voice and the melodies and harmonies they write. They did it well on "GAMI GANG" and here you get 7 minutes in that style. They're definitely at their best, when they mix their energy with their feeling, but for a sprint like this I totally appreciate their "re: turn". [Review]

12 // THE ARRIVAL NOTE // Vol. 2

[Sunday Drive Records]

8 months after their first EP, THE ARRIVAL NOTE continued their way with four new songs. Nothing much changed here, except that the songs are even better and the production/mix is a bit more well-rounded. That's not to say, that they left their sincere sound behind, it's just that the voice and the instruments are highlighted better.

11 // PRECIOUS // Hiding in Plain Sight
[Indecision Records]

PRECIOUS are a 90s-Hardcore/Metalcore-all-star band, that was new to me. With former members of SNAPCASE, THREADBARE, ADAMANTIUM & MEAN SEASON. And their approach is quite unique, marrying the 90s with the new, the groovy, gritty Hardcore with the Shoegaze. The title track is a banger with cool stop'n'go-dynamics à la SNAPCASE, while the second song indeed comes with that dream-y vibe. I hate the Shoegaze-trend, but PRECIOUS' access to it is really interesting.

10 // FEELS LIKE HEAVEN // Extended Play

[DIY]

Side project by Adam, Anton & Jens from Sweden's SPEEDWAY and it's on the same, high level of quality. Another thing FEELS LIKE HEAVEN have in common with SPEEDWAY is the sincere 90s-feeling to it, otherwise this is more in the vein of the Revolution Summer and early Emocore. Think RITES OF SPRING, DAG NASTY and TURNING POINT, it's also kinda similar to ONE STEP CLOSER. Good, good stuff!

9 // FLIGHT MODE // Torshov '05

[Sound as Language]

FLIGHT MODE out of Oslo, Norway are one of the best doing the 90s-Midwest-Emo-formula of MINERAL, KNAPSACK and CHRISTIE FRONT DRIVE right now. I'm happy that they are clinging to those classic bands and that their music feels so matured, cause most of the time I'm feeling too old (?) for the new wave of Emo and honestly, I never was much into CAP'N JAZZ or ALGERNON CADWALLADER anyway. "Torshov '05" is a beautiful reminder of that magic era and a big sign that this style isn't dead yet... [Review]

8 // L' APPEL DU VIDE // Abwärtsspirale

[It's Eleven Records]

They call it "Dark Punk" and indeed, it is dark. But there's way more to L'APPEL DU VIDE's debut. While maintaining their core-sound through this EP, somewhere between 80s-tinged Post-Punk, "Neue Deutsche Welle" and bits of Noise- and Surf-Rock, they are able to tweak some notches from song to song, to give every one of them a different tone. Another thing I really like about the band out of Dresden is, that they didn't put the "Punk" out of "Post-Punk". This is driving and pissed, yet also catchy, dark, mysterious, and thoughtful. 

7 // MEISZEL // meißel

[DIY]

This two-piece out of Germany with members from LYPURA isn't changing the game of Skramz, but they're doing an excellent job of melting together things that always worked. Some ORCHID/LOUISE CYPHRE-like blasts here, some 90s-New-School-groove there, some heavy screaming here, some catchy Emo-singing there, some reduced parts here, some nested there. Throw in a bunch of voice samples and much appreciated traits to German legends, and you got one of the best and also one of the most diverse genre releases of the year. [Review]

6 // MUTTERING // Soap Box

[Beth Shalom Records]

Short, but sweet EP by Britain's MUTTERING, anticipating their album "Great.". The only downside to it was that it consists of only two actual songs and one of them (the title track) is also on the LP. The acoustic "Overly protective" is more like an outro, with its 90-second-runtime. But what's there, rips hard. The original song "Perfectly placed Advertisement" is among their best songs yet, and "Soap Box" is unfuckable with anyway. Their blend of sensitive Indie-Rock and driving Post-Punk/HC was refreshing in 2022.

5 // AMORA // Cutting Teeth

[Heading East Records]

AMORA (formerly AM0RA) seemingly came out of nowhere to deliver one of the finest attempts at 2000s Post-Hardcore in a very long time. Think of THURSDAY or RECOVER and throw-in some DEFEATER, TAKING BACK SUNDAY & BALANCE AND COMPOSURE and you know what you're in for. Their biggest talent is to write ambitious and captivating songs full of diverse influences. They'll be up to huge things in the future! [Review]

4 // SPEEDWAY // Paradise

[Revelation Records]

The new generation will take Revelation Records as just another label, and honestly, they went pretty silent in the 2010s... but when I was getting into HC the label with the distinctive logo (which then got ripped off by Rockstar Games, btw) was one of the big players. Thus, I'm always happy when they put out something noticeable every now and then. Something like SPEEDWAY's second output. The Swedens already got me two years ago, and they're even going harder on "Paradise". Momentarily I can't think of any band doing the 90s-Melodic-Hardcore-thing any better than these guys. This is packed with passion, sincerity and talent. Give me the full length, already!

3 // VILLAIN OF THE WAR // Damn, that's crazy

[DIY]

VILLAIN OF THE WAR are a band I probably would've slept on if it wouldn't be for the "mEMOries"-series. They participated in Part 9 and from there on their EP grew on me like fuck. Their blend of New Wave-Emo, Pop-Punk and Post-Hardcore works perfectly and despite all those different attempts at writing a song, everyone of those 5 tracks hits home.  [Review]

2 // FOREIGN HANDS // Bleed the Dream

[DAZE]

Quite unreal that a Metalcore-record nearly tops this list, but honestly... if someone comes as close to prime-era POISON THE WELL as these guys here, than I should give credit where credits due. Personally I admire "The Opposite of December" and it seems that FOREIGN HANDS feel the same about that record. In the 23 years since its release I haven't witnessed a more passionate, careful, authentic and skilled approach at this sound. They captured Metalcore's "Razorblade Romance"-era of the late 90s/early 2000s perfectly and delivered a flawless EP with "Separation Souvenir" being one of the best songs in 2022 on top. [Review]

1 // ELDER JACK // Elder Jack Short Work

[DIY]

What an evolution by Chicago's ELDER JACK! Not that I didn't like their LP from earlier this year, but I totally appreciate their change of direction. Before, they were more on the crushing, scream-y site of Emo, on "Elder Jack Short Work" they let their sensitive, playful nature shine. They take a dive into Slacker-Rock and Jazz-y Emo with those 6 songs and the result is just beautiful. What I like about these songs is the fact, that most of them revolve around an elegant, yet catchy chord progression. The gentle, touching sentiment of this record is simply amazing and convinces me that Emo is in good hands looking forward...

xxx

2022: Best demos, splits, songs & more