Sine of the Lion - Caught in Between (EP Review)

Sine Of The Lion come on the heels of the Abandon All Ships break-up and is basically a solo project of ex-frontman Angelo Aita. I was not a fan of Abandon All Ships. I didn't really enjoy any of their albums. They were just not for me. This EP comes out after a band like Issues had a really great 2014. In a lot of ways Sine Of The Lion remind me a lot of bands like Issues and My Ticket Home. The songs incorporate a lot of hardcore elements while trying to merge those dreaded 2000s nu-metal influences almost everyone has avoided for years, but despite that fact, a few up-and-coming bands are merging those sounds and making it sort of listenable again. Now take in mind that a ton of bands are also doing it and reminding us why exactly we never wanted to hear another nu-metal song again. So what category does Sine Of The Lion's music fall into?

I'm just going to state the obvious that some of the songs here border a little on the generic side. There's the occasional DJ scratch inserted here or there. The songs have those standard heavy hardcore elements thrown in. That being said after a year when a band like Issues really took off I can see this EP gaining a lot of listeners. It does a good job of combining the elements and making songs that sound good for the genre this is going for. If you're a fan of this "nu-deathcore/nu-metalcore" stuff you’re really going to be able to get into this and if those Issues or My Ticket Home albums are growing a little stale this should put some fresh tunes in your ear. It isn't as immediately interesting as when those bands did it because a whole crop of new bands are trying to do it now, but like I said their execution of the sound is better than most I've heard try and do it.

One song that sticks out on this EP is "Bang Your Head". It starts of really bass heavy, sludgy, and with a ton of DJ scratches sounding a ton like classic era Ross Robinson produced stuff. There are parts in the song where you hear sounds you might hear on a Slipknot, Korn, and maybe even a Limp Bizkit song. It has all the elements that might turn off listeners, but the band makes it work and the song sounds pretty catchy and listenable. Some of the songs can get a little "samey" as they use these elements in abundance. That might deter from the originality or song writing points, but once again it doesn't necessarily change what I think the band wanted to accomplish with this EP. It still comes out being a good representation of the influences it draws from even if at times those influences could make some listeners cringe or feel like they are elements from a genre they'd rather forget than see make a comeback. Some of the lyrics lean more on something I think I might hear on the debut album by Limp Bizkit. Once again that could act a deterrent, but it also fits pretty well with the aesthetic being presented by Sine Of The Lion and ends up working in favor for the band and the sound and vibe of the EP.

While this EP isn't changing the world or genre defining it is doing a decent job of taking those metal/hardcore influences with that nu-metal twist that these younger hardcore listeners are really flocking to right now. I'm on the fence with it overall, and on the fence about this style and how many bands are going to be able to do it justice, but I definitely think this EP succeeds more than I thought it would originally. It's definitely worth giving a listen and has some catchy songs on it. It's also interesting to see these bands come in and take a genre like nu-metal, which everyone couldn't wait to dig a grave for, and try to revive it and finding an audience that seem to be embracing it. I definitely think this project could find a bigger audience this year. If you like any of the bands I mentioned above check this out because you will probably dig it.