With a name manifesting an overtly aggressive Pokémon, Perth’s latest metalcore upstarts are certainly purveyors of anger. Not that they’re the brand-spankiest newbies in the space, but seasoned professionals of downtrodden, glitchy dirge that sounds like an electric eel sparking up a pit.
Arriving almost exactly a year since Hunting God Tapes. Vol. 1: Violence, Pincer+ here conclude their dual-part thematic EP collection (that’s assuming there’s no sequential instalments, albeit that’d be a swell idea, too) as a reflection on the hurt exhibited in the first. Chronicling the end of an important personal relationship, Vol. 1 announced the latest reincarnation of riff-wrangler Josh Ang, who at this point poses as a figurehead of metalcore revival, particularly Down Under. Vol. 2 instead focuses on his own theme of recovery from inflicted destruction, not that the more brightly-tinged theme masks any of the pure unadulterated filth from the instrumentals within it.
Produced by Ang himself, it marks another chapter to metalcore’s evolving history which, as a fan throughout this century, has seen At the Gates’ Drop C 5-7-8 riffs, beatdowns-only gruffness, the high-noodle-and-low-string-bop of Architects before the genre’s slightly droop in commercial limelight. Now though, Ang’s chunky, dramatic style defines this day and age, where guitars downtuned to the very depths of the deep are packed with more bombastic snarl and bite. When their first release opened with “INTRODUCING: VIOLENCE” (and this follow-up uses an announcer in the same way), you knew you were in for a private crowdkilling, mostly grinding strings and slowed-to-all-infinity beatdowns. Likewise, Vol. 2’s Heart of Glass opens unrelentingly, an endless circle pit taking place in your cochlea courtesy of Ang’s, Jordan Burn’s and Ben Ferguson’s unified attack riding along right in the drum’s pocket. It’s no wonder they’ve toured with such collectively-minded beatdown masters Kublai Khan TX.
The nü-metalcore on display across this EP is an enlightening rebranded beast: you feel yourself hunched over with a low slung guitar strap, gyrating up and down like it’s 1997, but there’s no escaping the Mick Gordon effect that channelled thick strings through PS5 gameplay. Ang’s production is sharp and even the murkiest moments shine, with the “better luck next time!” announcements highlighting some sort of arcade-style metal rampage, which crops up a number of times. Of course, there’s a more personal story dictating this journey, which at its most effective blows you away with an “APOLOGIES FOR MY SELF RECEIVED HALO” mosh call in grooviest cut Self Received Halo.
There’s also far more to the cacophonous chuggery than might be expected. Certainly a step-up from Vol. 1, there’s neat tricks away from the band’s bread and butter to showcase even further afield influence. The clean vocals in Closer To God sparkle, even while the more atmospheric tinge is delighted distorted and ‘off’, a hip hop drum pattern fills a tiny respite in Romance (I Don’t Want to See Anymore), and more electronic breaks and blastbeats characterise Visions of Halos. But given Ang’s fandom of $uicideboy$, Baby Keem and Joji, the EP most notably closes with an Apex AFI-featuring rapped experiment. Unusually, its guitar enlists only slight gain and acts as the melody, with a disgustingly bloated (in a good way) trap beat governing the mood.
For artists and fans raised on the cross-generational diet of System Of A Down, My Chemical Romance and Yung Lean, the uncompromising, technical and uninhibited force of acts like Pincer+ feels like the future of metalcore or its adjacent forms. This EP poses an array of interesting ideas, tied together by forceful riffs that can rip your face off, with enough gusto to make the wait for a full-length filled with constantly replayable, levelling moments.
For fans of: Loathe, Jesus Piece, Thornhill
‘Hunting God Tapes. Vol. 2: Romance’ by Pincer+ is released on 24th November on Greyscale Records.
Words by Elliot Burr
