Pale Flag - EP Review: Imperium
With a lot
of misconceptions about deathcore, it’d be easy to lump Pale Flag into “one of
those bands” based on the sub-genre alone. Luckily, I love metal in the most
extreme and Pale Flag just so happen to create deathcore of the finest, which
makes it even better to enjoy.
With already a few notches on the belt with a handful of singles and their debut EP, Emergence, released in 2019, this is the band’s second EP, named Imperium and it’s a force to be reckoned with.
Strong screams and guttural growls are a pretty good indication of great deathcore, and Pale Flag have it in abundance, courtesy of vocalist, Isaac Drakeley. We’re talking devastatingly good, the kind of screams that could strip paint off a wall, and we’re only one song in with four left to go.
Musically, the guys are tight. Think solid unforgiving riffs that are so deep and dark, and the kind of drumming that just obliterates everything in sight. You feel every note everywhere.
Out of the six tracks that make up Imperium, my stand out would be all of them. These final mixes are some of the cleanest I’ve come across recently, and it’s really the cherry on top to hear such quality production.
But, of course last track, Human Error does catch my ear a little bit more. I’m a sucker for tension and release, which don’t me wrong, there is also no shortage of with this EP, but it’s a hell of a tune.
No Redemption is also a bit of a masterpiece in its own right. If you’re not furiously headbanging at some point, then you might want another listen. Everything about it is sympatico.
With plans to do a little nationwide tour for Imperium, I highly recommend you don’t get left behind and keep your ears to the ground when they hit a city near you. My next recommendation? Time for a full-length album next, hey guys?
About Pale Flag
Emerging into the NZ metal scene in 2018 through a humble bands competition, Pale Flag were quickly picked up by the more established metal bands of the NZ scene at the time. They went on to fulfil a relentless gigging schedule, playing on a nearly weekly basis within their first year as an active band. Pale Flag draws influence on their sound from a wide range of metal music, but specifically targets a blend between early deathcore and modern hardcore.
Releasing their first single In this Moment in 2019, quickly followed by their debut EP Emergence, Pale Flag continued on to play with notable acts coming to New Zealand. Such acts include Alphawolf, Rings of Saturn and Vulvodynia. They later released another stand alone single and music video Delusional Exhibition in 2021. All this while putting as many gigs under their belt as possible. Including flying to Australia in 2022 for their first international gig, playing in the finals of the 2022 NZ/AUS Wacken Bands competition.
Visit the muzic.net.nz Profile for Pale Flag
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