If your hardcore band wants to make a name for itself in today's music scene, it has to do one of three things: a) be exceptional; b) be a band that has already made a name for itself; c) both a and b. Hardcore bands come and go all the time, with only so much as one mediocre album to show for it all. The newest Facedown Records signing is hoping to not fall into that crowd. Getting recognition from a major label while the band is still in its infancy says a lot about the label's opinion of Poured Out, but what does the band's debut have to say about them?

Poured Out comes out of the gate strong, with a fierce opener called "Unconditional." The song shows that the band is very confident in their chosen profession, and also gives us a glimpse of who they are, musically. Poured Out starts with a traditional hardcore backbone and adds some heavy metal tendencies, the latter of which is most notable in their style of guitar solos. They also seem to have a way of unpredictability in their arsenal, and in this way they remind me of The Chariot. Though the similarities pretty much end with that one personality trait, they do use a lot of the infamous feedback The Chariot so often relied on in these fives tracks. "Hymn of a Broken Man" features a minute or two of only feedback and melodic, calm guitar near the end of the song. Their self-titled song goes on to feature heavy gang vocals and a barrage of breakdowns; incidentally, I feel comfortable citing this as the EP's highlight.

Blind Heart is just a quick peek at Poured Out, so it's tough to really form a long-standing opinion on their future in the industry. But it's easy to see the potential. Their brand of raw and slightly unconventional hardcore make for a well-spent twenty minutes, and I've heard that they're working on a full-length album, to which I'd glady spend some more time listening.

- Review date: 4/2/16, written by Scott Fryberger of Jesusfreakhideout.com