London based metalcore mob High Rise have been making moves these last few years. Not only have they put out a string of solid material with 2015’s ‘Tides Will Tell You’ and the 2016 follow-up ‘Left It For Everything’, they’ve earned themselves a string of spots on big stages alongside fellow big movers Bad Omens, Our Hollow Our Home and the greatly missed Create To Inspire. With bigger stages in their cross hairs and greater goals on the horizon, 2019 sees them release their brand new EP ‘Endeavours’ – an explosive and punchy offering showing that the quintet still have plenty of tricks up their sleeves.
If you like bands such as While She Sleeps, Underoath and Beartooth, you’ll love this EP. All the most cherished characteristics of the genre have been woven together to create five songs bursting with energy, emotion and ambition. For a taste of the energetic side of the band, check out the raucous opening track ‘My Solitude, Your Hope’, crammed full of mosh-worthy riffs and infectious bouncy choruses. ‘Haunting Me’ is a hefty dose of the same, displaying an ever so slightly darker side to the vibe in the riffs as the drums rapidly tear through them.
The lighter side of the EP shows the most promise here, though, with the songwriting at its most proficient and powerful. ‘Ghosts In My Mind’ is a wrecking ball of both gigantic guitars and emotion, the hits becoming more powerful with every single swing. The real show stopper of the EP is the title track – a gently swaying, distorted lullaby showing a band that are really finding their feet. The way the song rises and falls is superb, packed with enormous hooks and immediately catchy vocals. The strength of this song alone is worth listening to the EP for. High Rise may not be a name you’re familiar with, but it might not stay that way for long.
‘Endeavours’, although short, shows various sides to a band with heaps of potential. The songs are well written, all flowing smoothly with no riffs or sections feeling like they’re out of place. The guitars are punchy, the drums are powerful and the vocals are both ferocious and catchy. The only real downside is that there’s nothing groundbreaking here. All the songs, as great as they are, don’t really push the envelope or bring anything new to the table, and a lot of the ideas sound recycled or borrowed from other bands. That said, it’s not necessarily a bad thing. They’re wearing their influences proudly, and the strength of the execution on display throughout this EP is carving out a very promising path forwards for them. They clearly have strong songwriting chops and talent in troves. With a little sprinkling of originality and identity, High Rise could very well find themselves on those bigger stages sooner rather than later.
DAVE STEWART