Counterparts - You're Not You Anymore

Counterparts are a band that just keep upping their game. With every single album, they've played around with their formula and consistently churned out good albums, each one better than the last. Today, they released You're Not You Anymore, and it follows the same pattern. This still sounds like a Counterparts record, but it's tighter, it's clearer, it's more polished. And it SLAYS. I'd talk you through my first listen, but I'll be honest, I've been jamming it all day. So, instead, I'll just give you a little insight into my thoughts about what I've heard. I wanted to try to sound completely neutral and unbiased but it's hard not to because I love this record. A lot.

Album opener "Walk Away Slowly" almost acts as a solemn warning. This song is the calmest and quietest part of the entire album. If you don't want things to get any more aggressive, you should do exactly what it tells you. If you do want aggression, however, keep listening. You'll be greeted by first release "Bouquet", a runaway train of hardcore. Without warning, you're thrown right into the eye of the hurricane, bombarded with relentless pace, meaty guitar tone and gritty, bitter vocal delivery. The chorus section is packed full of guitar cadences and gang chants, and even a layer of vocal harmony, really showing off their songwriting. A perfect opener. "Thieves" is 1:16 of pure anger, and is without doubt the heaviest track on the album. Although it's short, it doesn't need to be any longer. Start to finish carnage, a definite mosh instigator. Tracks like "Arms Like Teeth" and "Haunt Me" showcase the bands melodic side. They never fail to provide that hardcore punch we've come to know and love about them, but they really demonstrate their command of melody and take you on a rollercoaster ride through a variety of emotions and mindsets. "Rope" sounds like a continuation of "Choke" from their previous album Tragedy Will Find Us, acting as it's slightly more melodic cousin until it reaches THAT breakdown. The standout tracks here are "Swim Beneath My Skin" and "Fragile Limbs", both of which are something else entirely. Both packed with hooks, intricate guitar melodies and most importantly, intensity, I'll be surprised if these tracks don't end up becoming live favourites. Without doubt, they've knocked the ball out of the park with this one. It's way out of the park. It's out of the stadium. An unmistakable home run.

If you're a fan of hardcore and metalcore, this album should quite nicely wet your appetite. Musically this album is a tour de force of how this genre should be done, and quite confidently puts Counterparts amongst the elite of the genre. They've had a number of line up changes over the last year or so, but if anything they seem to have only strengthened the band, as is audible on this record. Do not sleep on this. Get it inside your ears. I'll be seeing these guys in January supporting Architects and While She Sleeps. If I were you, I'd grab your tickets before they sell out, because with this album under their belts, that show just got even better than it already was.

D.S

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