EP REVIEW: ‘A Concious Motion’ by Cove

Cove find themselves in an increasingly narrow bracket of UK hardcore that, right now, seems more populated than ever. It’s one that so many people are familiar with too, in which so many of its alumni worship at the altars of While She Sleeps and Feed The Rhino while padding out the bills of local festivals. Sure, it’s unfair to generalise an entire scene as such, but in an ever-growing roster that has proven to be as interchangeable as it is, and where it takes something truly special to even stand a chance of standing out, it’s a judgement that needs to be made.

 And off the back of second EP A Concious Motion, Cove aren’t exactly standing out, mostly because they’re taking the partly heavy, partly melodic template without having anything in between. It’s definitely one of the more basic metalcore releases to come out from this scene, and while that admittedly prevents Cove from straying into that many pitfalls, it just feels ultimately faceless, lacking any sort of identity that even bands lacking in real quality can have.

 Especially when it comes to what this EP has to offer, Cove find themselves being hurt the most in this regard, as this is every facet of UK metalcore represented in its least innovative form. All I Believe makes the necessary transitions from downbeat pensiveness to more explosive anger; Solis has the exploding, monochromatic hook; Host is the atmospheric interlude tightened up by snippets of vocal samples; none of this is new, and it’s not even arranged in a way to give the impression that Cove are even trying to formulate some discernible identity. It’s totally fine, as is each element of performance and the clean, steel-coated production, but that’s it. Nothing immediately grabs the attention, and above all, Cove are just left to tread water.

 Clearly their intent was for something grander than this and that can be respected, but A Concious Motion can never elevate itself beyond a framework that’s already immensely played out. It’s listenable and harmless in every other manner, but it’s not out of the question to demand more than that, particularly in metalcore where the same points can be ascribed to countless others.

5/10

For fans of: Our Hollow Our Home, Devil Sold His Soul, Create To Inspire
Words by Luke Nuttall 

‘A Concious Motion’ by Cove is out now.