Hardcore meets post-rock
The new Svalbard 10" EP is a lovely package; great cover image, beautiful red vinyl and smart little lyric sheet insert, so I'm already a fan before I start listening and thankfully not disappointed when I do dive in as the EP holds some cracking tunes.
The Bristol mob are another Brit hardcore band mixing in post-rock elements to their sound and doing it superbly - it's a combination that works so well with the atmospheric builds and meanderings softening the screams and heavy duty riffage while on the flip side the chunky guitars and emotive vocals provide a solid backbone to counterbalance the dreamy moments. Svalbard has the mix very well balanced and the EP flows brilliantly - they allow the tracks to show off their hardcore roots while at the same time leaving room for them to expand into expansive and sometimes epic soundscapes - final track Leave It is a great example, starting with an almost sludgy pace but sporting chiming riffs, it soon breaks into screams and then gradually the guitars edge towards that final build and when it arrives its pretty sweet. Nicely done.
We're sold and will be checking out their self-titled EP from last year in a hurry too.