We Stole Saturday - Seeing Ghosts Pre-Release Review.

We Stole Saturday Seeing Ghosts Ep review

This EP has been a few years in the making, with a lot of lineup changes and a whole lot of dedication from the Kildare, Ireland based band We Stole Saturday, the EP Seeing Ghosts is finally here. And let me tell you now, it has arrived. This refreshingly new blend of metalcore/ post hardcore is dangerously addictive and I for one am excited to see where this band ends up, and to see their musical progression. The band state their main influences as : Oceans Ate Alaska, Asking Alexandria, Dayseeker, Being As An Ocean, Motionless In White, Kingdom Of Giants, Northlane, Enter Shikari, Crown The Empire, Bury Tomorrow, and Hotel Books. I couldn’t have written a better list of influences for a new band, and in their music you can see exactly where these bands have shaped We Stole Saturday – without them trying to imitate. This EP is an amalgamation of different genre influences and different sounds, but the unique blend between them has created something entirely new, and with a bit of development and progression, I wouldn’t be surprised to be writing an article on the impact they’ve had on the metalcore/post hardcore scene in another 20 years. So without further ado, let's jump into the EP.

Tracklist:

1 Intro: Seeing Ghosts starts with a tense piano and strings arrangement with some very interesting trap style beats near the end of the track. This sets the tone for the whole EP in that it includes the electronic elements that the Irish based band seems to have woven into this EP with skilful ease. The intro reminds me of some sort of metalcore version of a Tim Burton-esque opening credit scene, and I think that (for the lack of a better term) spooky-ness sums up the whole EP quite nicely. A good intro should blend with the rest of the EP , but also work as a stand alone track- albeit a short one. This intro, with it’s catchy chords and drums does just that. It works on it’s own , but you really get a sense of the musical direction they were going for when you listen to it in the greater context of the whole EP. It may be less than a minute but it also lends to the sound of what I imagine are some of the band’s inspirations from early 2000’s Metalcore and bands such as Attack! Attack! Who helped to introduce the use of electronic sounds and piano in Metalcore.

2- An Ending We Didn't Deserve

The next track on this EP opens into heavy riffs and deep clean vocals by Joey. The first lyrics are “It’s Hard to breathe, It’s hard to breathe” which sums up perfectly in my opinion the intense nature of this track. I find heavy tracks such as this to be a tense listen, and I love every second of it. The rolling drum fills boil away under the sweeping guitar riffs and harsh vocals to create a turbulent song. This song has just the right amount of harsh-ness whilst not sacrificing the production quality. Aside from the wonderful sound, This track is deeply emotional. It has all of the kick-ass necessities of an opening track and a classic metalcore song, but it seems to weave in dissonant tones and deep clean vocals into the fabric of the song to create something I am certain I haven’t heard before. Near the end of the track I get an almost La Dispute vibe from a spoken-word inspired breakdown. The anguish in Joey’s voice is palpable, and the elegiac nature of the lyrics “Why didn't you // why couldn't you save me. // My demons, they swim around me // I'm drowning, in an open wound //The water is filled with people I once knew // The water is at my neck.” Really add to the song, if the lyrics were not so heavily-emotional then this song would have been in danger of being a tad stale, but that is not the case. This song for me encapsulates emotional-metalcore, and makes me yearn for a simpler time, when Chiodos and Attack! Attack! were a thing.

3 - Empty Reflections

Empty reflections takes a slight departure from the first track. It starts off with some adrenaline fuelled drum fills, that make you want to get moving and spin kick your mates right in the jaw – with love, of course. It proceeds to get heavier, with some sweeping riffs and electronic elements creeping in towards the middle of the song. The harsh electronic aspect of this song reminds me of how Enter Shikari blend their music with elements from many different genres. In fact, there are some elements of this song that remind me of Sorry You’re Not A Winner. I love how theatrical this song sounds, the synthesisers slowly building up to a heavy climax before the song slows down and a lovely clean section kicks in. I’m a sucker for clean sections in my metalcore, and the duality of the harsh and clean sounds keeps songs such as this interesting. The entire EP has a dynamic of live performance in it, as if you could picture the band on stage with their strobe lights and pyrotechnics to accompany the harsh growls and idyllic cleans. This song in particular begs to be played live , and I think that this was a deliberate choice by the band. There always has to be an old classic that a band pulls out at gigs and I think that in 10 years time this track could be that for We Stole Saturday.

4 - Time Has No Loving Hands

This track is another prime example of how dissonant tones can make a song so much better. This song starts off with some heavily used symbols and kick drums, then the guitar kicks in. The first riffs have some Djent-y elements to the, with heavy chugs and double taps. I love the way the vocals kicks in, with Joey’s growl almost arguing with the guitar, and then the clean vocals kick in. The clean vocals in this song are higher pitched, and are almost haunting. You get a deep sense of one’s realisation that Time really doesn’t have loving hands. In this track you can hear Joey grasping at lost seconds, and you get the sense that this song is his and his band mates shout into the void. This song also capitalises on the use of Synthesiser , and as with the rest of the tracks you get a deep sense of theatrics. The synth building up and dwindling as the song demands, and unlike some bands they do not over-use them. They lyrics of this song are truly very relatable , as someone who has always felt like I couldn’t get the most out of my time no matter how hard I tried, they really resonate. Such as these lyrics : “Our hearts, our souls// Are slowly burning out// The shackles of time will never hold me down //The fear of loss keeping us alive” which feel pivotal, as if before your very eyes (or ears) you are seeing the band come to terms with their own mortality.

5 – Vulnerable

Heavy chugs and heavier breakdowns. This song feels like a diary entry, as if the lyrics were ripped straight from a poem and reworked into a song for the band. “I'm tied, by the lack// Lack of not feeling what I should// I've being torn down and broken //Misspoken //The wounds that I've sown are being ripped open //And from all this I know// Is that this was never meant to work// And I'm trying to let go //I'm sorry.” This song feels very, very personal. It is crazy to see how lyrics that are so personal could have been reworked into such a heavy song, because that is exactly what this song is. Heavy as fuck, in every sense of the term. It’s heavy and emotional, and it is heavy in sound. This song has more sections of clean vocals in it, and I’m here for it. The way the heavy chugs and synths blend with each other makes the vocals stand out. I think that this is one of the strongest tracks off of this EP. The only critique I would offer for this song is that the reserved nature of the snyths from the other songs has been slightly overlooked, and in a couple of places it is very loud, erring on the edge of messy. I would like to follow that critique up by saying that it’s probably personal preference, and not a reflection on the track itself. Overall a VERY solid track.

6 - The Day And The Damage Done

This is the culmination of the efforts of the whole EP and the band itself, starting off with a catchy electronic drum line and equally as catchy guitar , it easily weaves an amalgamation of different styles into one opening. This song reminds me of a Suicide season era bring me the horizon song, it has the harsh vocals down to a T and the use of electronic elements and glitching vocals that were so successful on suicide season. This track is a prime example of the duality of We Stole Saturday’s sound, because on the one hand you have this energetic harsh metalcore goodness and on the other you have the slow, empathetic spoken word-esque calm periods to a lot of their songs. Whilst some would argue that this is nothing new in metalcore – a genre commonly known for it’s unique blend of metal and clean vocals – I would counter that the way that We Stole Saturday have structured their songs and the sound of their clean segments is really something new and refreshing to hear. The use of piano near the end of this track is something I haven’t heard in metalcore in a good few years, the echoing and overlapping vocals lulling you into a relaxed state before the most brutal segment of dissonant and electronic breakdowns from the whole EP hit you full force in the face. A very strong ending to an eclectic, energetic and elegiac debut.