EP REVIEW: ‘Impersonal’ by Cut Short

Impersonal is the debut EP from Cut Short, with the UK metalcore quartet coming in strong with their first release. Vocalist Harry Benyon explains: “this release is heavy, melodic and ambient. I have always believed in having melodies to compliment brutal riffs so that neither is too isolated”.

 Cut Short don’t beat around the bush with this EP; they establish their sound from the first track. Eerie, aggressive tones erupt from the EP’s opening track, Manic, with ghostly synths haunt the entire track with heavy minor chord progressions and aggressive vocals adding a darker tone to the overall effect. Benyon’s description of their release is certainly apt from the start. Combining so many different melodies and chord sequences can become over whelming however, Cut Short have avoided over stepping the boundary between an epic sound and ridiculous noise. Solitary takes the haunting a step further with the dramatic introduction of layered eerie melodies. The following explosion into heavy guitars and aggressive vocals creates a sudden contrast. Benyon’s dark lyrics are replicated in the tone of the instrumentation. This track also sees Benyon include clean vocals in the chorus; his soaring voice adds further depth to the track and shows off his talent as a vocalist. Hammering staccato guitar chords create an incredibly fast-paced, energetic section. The sudden calm amongst the guitars forms a sudden contrast that emphasizes the breakdown.

 Psychosomatic dives straight into heavy instrumentation and aggressive vocals. Fast melodies and rhythms give the track a high energy feel. Benyon’s raw edged vocals soar in the chorus contrasting the fast, short vocals of the verses. All of the layers in this track, as with the whole EP, create an immense sound. The heavy breakdown features a rhythm pattern that creates more interest than the generic four beat rhythm. Eerie effects in the outro segue nicely into the haunting tone of Null. This track has very heavy, dirty tones – as the album progresses the dirtier the tone gets. The contrast of clean and distorted vocals enhances the track with the instrumentation being so distorted. Including the eerie introductory melody throughout the track brings cohesion and maintains the power of the atmosphere. Four tracks into the EP it also becomes evident that “Fuck” is Cut Short’s preferred pre-breakdown vocal line; it’s an effective breakdown so no complaints there. Exonerated features some less heavily distorted sections and creates serene atmosphere is the mist of their heavy tones. The contrast develops the sound and adds an extra layer to the EP.

 The power behind each track is immense with wonderfully dirty guitar tones and epic contrasts. The EP develops as each track progresses with more experimental instrumentation and effects being used. Members Benyon, Anderson, Walton and Walet certainly give a generous insight into what they can do, it’ll be fascinating to see how they develop with future releases.

8/10

For fans of: Avenged Sevenfold, Asking Alexandria, Valis Ablaze
Words by Holly Royle

‘Impersonal’ by Cut Short is out now.