Sentinels // Unsound Recollections
Sentinels recently released their debut EP ‘Unsound Recollections’ through Stay Sick Records and are a front runner for “break out band of the year”. I have to admit, this EP is something that might have normally gone under my radar but I received so many messages telling me how good it was and that I had to review it.
Sentinels is reviving a style of progressive metalcore that gained a lot of notoriety in 2010 and 2011 when Structures and Volumes put out their first EPs. This style balances progressive and technical aspects with groovy rhythm sections and it requires a dynamic vocalist to scale up and down, adapting to the instrumental landscape.
The vocalist’s range is also important because a lot of the bands that pioneered this sound didn’t draw a clear line between metalcore and deathcore. They would frequently dip into deathcore growls during a breakdown and Sentinels replicates that on ‘Unsound Recollections’, making it impossible to box them in as a single genre.
Progressive metal is ridiculously open to instrumental possibilities and Sentinels’ unique combinations have resulted in their own fresh identity. One of my favorite things is hearing sections that remind me of the bands that helped inspire this sound. If you’re a fan of early material from Structures, Volumes, Northlane, Elitist, Reflections, or Invent Animate you’re going to love this.
The key is the way they combine the dissonant chords with a tinge of atmospheric presence. I also really like how they slip from technical sections into thick grooves, especially with the stress chords accentuating the vocals. The stuttery breakdowns are also a nice touch.
This release has a lot going for it and their live performance is just as good. I’ll be coming back to this album throughout the year and I look forward to what they do next.
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