Pounding with energy and frustration, and mixed with blind optimism and anger, the new one from metalcore Palm Reader is nothing if not loud and relentless.

Progressing their sound through layered ambience, yet not necessarily progressing the sound of the genre, Palm Reader find themselves at the advantage, and disadvantage, that comes with being heavily rooted to a scene; that they have a clear, identifiable, sound is a benefit, but the fact that it doesn’t necessarily find itself too dissimilar from past work or contemporaries is a hinderance.

The layering of Islay and False Thirst offer optimism about the future, and an ability to break through the barriers imposed by the genre – and that’s maybe the main point to take away here. 

What they do they do well, and where that is genuinely original that’s exciting; there’s maybe just not enough of it here.