Title: This is Called Survival – EP
Artist: Pressure Cracks
Record Label: War Against Records
Release Date: Jan. 10, 2020
★★★★
Southern California has been an epicenter for some of the heaviest hardcore bands in existence. This band upholds that statement with their latest effort. SoCal hardcore band Pressure Cracks have just recently dropped their latest EP entitled This is Called Survival. Featuring 4 tracks, this whole thing is a ripper from start to finish. They have not released any full-lengths out yet, but this is the second EP since their formation in 2017.
To say the least, this is 4 tracks of complete chaos. They take clear influence from early Every Time I Die, Beartooth, and Turmoil. The screaming vocals, the tone of the guitar, and the implementation of panic chords during breakdowns make this EP a hard-hitter for sure. I give it points for nailing down style and making it their own sound, but many aspects of these songs remind me of things I have already heard before (i.e. the bands I just named). This does not, however, take away from the fact that it is still a great EP for a band that just started out 3 years ago, and is slowly starting to find a sound that works for them. It sounds a lot like their first EP (self-titled), but I can tell that they made this one more metalcore influenced than their first effort. A great addition from this band and I cannot wait to see what else is to come from them.