Upbringing is the debut EP from hardcore band Atlases and as far as the genre goes, it’s a good strong offering.
The way it opens is great, with everything suddenly fading upwards before you’re faced with an awesome wall of noise. Although frontman Jack’s vocals seem a little strained, almost like he’s over-exerting himself at times, the track as a whole is fantastic and it’s a great energetic start to the EP, which goes from strength to strength as it progresses. Secret Keeper is a particularly strong inclusion; the sheer aggression throughout the song is fantastic and you can’t help but bang your head along to it.
Another great inclusion is The Deepest Dark, which begins with hammering drums that sound wonderfully meaty alongside the bass line and it’s an all-round fantastic track that doesn’t let up from beginning to end.
Upbringing is an EP brimming with promise. Admittedly the vocals do let it down a little at times and like a lot of other hardcore bands, there isn’t much variety between the songs, but it’s an all-round fantastic little EP and the potential is there for Atlases to go far.
8/10
