After an orchestral opening track, the listener is greeted by a really great, melodic guitar intro for the first proper song, "Patience Is An Art." The song sets the stage for the EP as a whole, as it continues into neat riffage and Konradt's growly, deathcore-style vocals. Amazingly, he also found a good way to incorporate his clean vocals (which are typically one of the weakest aspects) by pairing them with his screams. This allows them to be heard while being masked a little by the stronger screams. Similarly, the cleans in "To Remain Selfless" are used only in the background and are much quieter, adding a nice melodic touch to an otherwise hard-hitting, quasi-djenty song. Adding melody to the heaviness is something Konradt's always been particularly good at, to be honest, and it's noticeable a few times throughout the EP, including the instrumental track, "Interim," which uses ambient sounds to accompany the heavier riffs.
Truthfully, the EP isn't completely lacking in production errors, but their prevalence has been dramatically lessened. Those who have followed along with the each release will likely be more willing to overlook them and enjoy it as it is. Others who have this as their first exposure to Relentless Pursuit may take issue with the occasional sharpness of some of the instruments or the infrequent timing issues, such as with some of the vocals in "To Remain Selfless." But these are minor enough, and the EP overall is still highly enjoyable. If anything, my biggest complaint isn't with a technical issue, but an artistic choice. The closing track, "Cessation," closes out the EP with a sort of jarring transition. The song goes hard for a couple of minutes, but then it fades out very quickly, transitioning into a soft and pretty piano for the remainder of the track. I'd argue that it wasn't the best decision for the song, but at least the piano is pleasant and well-played.
In the end, all I can really say is that I'm ecstatic about the quality of the final product. To Fear Is To Live is the result of an artist taking constructive criticism and pushing himself to get better and better at his craft. While it's not perfect, it's a solid EP from start to finish, and an enjoyable dose of metalcore that leaves me excited about where he will go from here.
- Review date: 6/28/24, written by Scott Fryberger of Jesusfreakhideout.com
Record Label: None
Album length: 6 tracks: 18 minutes, 24 seconds
Street Date: July 4, 2024
Buy It: Amazon Music
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