SPECTRE: MAKE LIFE GREAT AGAIN EP REVIEW
Illawarran Metalcore band Spectre have returned to the scene after a hiatus, with a new lineup and EP Make Life Great Again. Spectre formed in 2019, making their musical debut in 2020 with their Album Grim Culture (The Vault). With a successfully sold out EP launch event under their belt, it is safe to say that the band have made a triumphant return,
so let's jump into Make Life Great Again, and while we are here, take a second to appreciate the song titles.
You ain't living for the hope of shit, You stupid bitch, After all I did, In the silence you hid. If you are looking for a song to get your rage out to, Rehab is for quitters is about to hit your favourites list. With scorn filled lyrics, a beat to throw down in the pit to and vocals that will encourage you to lean in even harder. Rehab is definitely a stand out for an energy release, feeling like it was designed for a chaotic pit experience and I am living for it. The electro style brief pause feels like it is in place for you to have a space to breathe before you are thrown into chaos once more, with a last ditch effort to finish the track out. A traitor at last, I know the excuse, Moving on so fast, Before I even knew, Yeah!
What if I dropped everything, It’s all made up in my head, What if I ran and dropped everything, I just run away, I can’t shut them up, And every noise they make is killing me. Instrumentally Don't eat cheese before noon will have you feeling like you are in the midst of a manic episode, being pushed and pulled in every direction until you have no idea which way is up. I will preface by saying I may be reading too much into it, but lyrically I take this song as an introspective tale of someone who is battling with the inner turmoil of suicidal thoughts and manic depression where they are battling to break free of their own mind. Vocalist Adam hits with something akin to Mitch Lucker (Suicide Silence) with his ability to express emotions and the raw power on display. And I escaped the blight, I can’t tell wrong from right, My own mind is playing tricks on me
Anxiety within me, a signal of defeat, I’m a product of my own self misery.
It’s a weight inside your chest, Feel it compress break your bones, And puncture both your lungs, As the blood fills up, You gasp for air. I did not expect to hear a revenge anthem with Gojira and Lamb of God style groove undertones when I came into this, but here we are and I am definitely not made about it. Get your stank face ready because Make Life Great Again will demand it from you. Vocally the track slides effortlessly through a myriad of styles which held me captive as I was handed hardcore cleans, rap articulate patterns, deathcore brrrrr and a effect which feels like someone is whispering in your ear from over your shoulder. If you would consider this EP to have a dance track, MLGA would be it, I was unable to sit still with the cheeky and simultaneously dangerous guitar lines taking over my body. I’ll show you everything you hate, Make no mistake, Every single flaw, You try to ignore, My name is misery, Brrrrr.
I can't go on i need you here, Can't believe i spent all these years, Fighting on my own, dying inside, In a dark room with nowhere to hide. Just when I thought Spectre couldn't introduce more styles into the mix, we get to Hey bro, have you seen my 3DS? While carrying over similar tones from MLGA, 3DS pulls in a gritty and theatrical atmosphere. I always say that you can tell the measure of a drummer by how they use their cymbals to speak and Matthew definitely got me in this track. While simple enough in terms of skill to perform, from the very beginning of the track he catches
you in his net, cutting through the heaviness and offering the brightness the track needed to balance everything out. Adam introduces an open sound to his vocals in 3DS, pulling you into the narrative of calling out and longing for someone to hear you outside of the internal voices. Lovers torn apart from time, Ones light left their eyes, All alone and no one cares, All I'm left with is despair, Making friends with the shadows on my wall, Even they leave at dawn, All the hope i have is gone.
I walk alone into the darkness at night, I can't help the feeling of disappointment, deep inside. Last but not least we come to the finale in the form of Pigeons aren't real. Pigeons aren't real is the accumulation of all of the style of the EP come together producing a meaningfully chaotic piece with tempo changes that will keep you guessing, sound effects to give you chills, a groove section that will have you dancing, potential for a two-step in a live scenario and the ever important emotionally releasing lyricism. While all of the tracks have their own individual style, all-in-all they flow easily from one track to the next, never feeling janky or out of place. My flaws you picked apart although I bit my, tongue in spite, because hypocrisy and bitterness took over, you that night. I don't think that I'm to blame for all the, problems that you hide, because I've scratched the surface watched it, bleed and saw you in the light.
For Fans Of: Suicide Silence, Gojira, Lamb of God and Parkway Drive
9.5/10
Favourite Song: Make Life Great Again I will not admit how many times I listened to this tracks.
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