SINGLE REVIEW // Tempest - Remember Me

Hailing from the picturesque coastal town of Eastbourne, Tempest are a metalcore quintet that have been making a lot of noise across the south coast. If you've ever attended a metal gig at Blue Bar, chances are you've seen them about. Perhaps you've even watched them. If you have, you'd no doubt remember it. Their set is packed full of thunderous riffs, ferocious vocals and well constructed melodies that when strung together create an impressive sonic display. They recently released a new single titled "Remember Me" on the 13th of September, so I thought I'd check it out.

The first thing I noticed is the quality of the production. It's been so well recorded. Right from the very first chord, you can tell that every instrument has it's own space within the mix; everything is able to breathe. The guitar tone, especially, is meaty and satisfying, providing thick chunks of chug with every strum. The vocals are great, especially the lows which really pack power. There are a couple of timing issues on a few phrases, but that's me nitpicking. The overall tone and delivery is great, and the emotive content of the lyrics is portrayed really well. The song rises and falls in all the right places, features a nice catchy chorus and a good solid breakdown. Some of the sections are a little on the predictable side, but the general flow of the song overshadows that. It holds your attention from beginning to end, and makes you want to listen to more. Musically, this reminded me a lot of bands like Still Remains, In Hearts Wake and Architects, especially that outro section. The guitar tapping sounded a lot like Hollow Crown era Architects, featuring a decorative melody hovering above a wall of chords. On a whole, "Remember Me" is both punishing and passionate in equal measure, ticking all the right metalcore boxes whilst conveying a powerful and meaningful message. These guys have a lot of potential, and if they carry on progressing the way they are now I have no doubt that they'll be playing shows outside of the south coast sooner rather than later.

Speaking to Steve Collier (guitar/vocals) he told me that this song means a lot to the band and the local scene in Eastbourne, as it's written in memory of a friend. Tragically, he committed suicide, and it shook everybody to their core. They wrote this song to promote the importance of mental health issues, to let people know that they're never alone and that someone will always listen. Mental health is an incredibly important issue, perhaps now more than ever. I completely support the message within this song, and I support this band. You should too.

D.S

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