Straight Line Stitch are back with their new EP Transparency and it’s a hard-hitting and punchy release that you’ll be remembering for all the right reasons.
The introductory track, Out Of The Shadows, almost lulls you into a false sense of security with how soft and gentle it sounds; it’s like the calm before the storm and when the full band kicks in for second track Dark Matter, it really helps the song to leave an impression on you. Starting with aggressive vocals and heavy instrumentation, there’s no denying that Straight Line Stitch know how to make an entrance and things continue strongly from there. The clean vocals and harsh vocals blend seamlessly into one another, with there being a good balance between the two, and everything is just backed up so well with the chunky instrumentation which keeps the momentum going from song to song.
However, despite the songs being good, there is a slight problem in the sense that the EP doesn’t really bring anything new to the table. With Transparency, Straight Line Stitch have firmly cemented themselves as an absolute force to be reckoned with, but there’s nothing about it that quite manages to set them apart from all the other metal bands in the scene right now.
As a whole, Transparency is a great listen. Although it would be nice to see them take a few risks, this will surely be an EP that will go down an absolute storm, and I await their next release with bated breath.
7/10
