Review By Cerrin Hendricks (@panicpreacher)

Up and coming Australian metalcore act Signals have just released their third EP Poetry Of Spite, the follow-up to 2022’s Screaming Into Nothing. 

Starting out in 2020 during the pandemic by brothers Tyler and Dylan Di Paolo, Signals have been working hard on developing their unique and noisy take on mathcore over these last three records, evolving yet carrying over key elements of their signature sound.

On this new record, they looked to up the ante and took the best elements from their aforementioned sophomore effort, as well as their debut Disgrace, released in 2021.  

Revolt starts off the record like a door being kicked in, with a pulsing drive reminiscent of more avant garde acts like Swans, an unexpected and welcome feeling when combined with the sheer ferocity of their delivery. The tribal nature of the consistent toms throughout this intro track feels like one big buildup. The simple nature of the track really allows the great mix to shine through.

Hellscape picks up the tempo, but in a brave move dials back the noise for a bit with a relatively clear intro, a sharp contrast to the dense wall of noise from the previous track. When the background noise starts seeping in, you can feel the weight being added back to the track. The track is strongest at its fastest moments, with the transitions really adding weight to the breakdowns. The track fades out amidst a sea of guitar feedback, an almost calming presence after the preceding chaos.

Permanence keeps the pace going, with a ferocious intro that breaks into a tasty groove before building into a breakdown that keeps getting better as it goes along, picking up weight with every second. The song abruptly fades into noise, sirens sounds, atmospheric screaming and an atmospheric guitar passage which lulls you into a false sense of security before ending the song off on an extremely dissonant and heavy note. 

A familiar wash of guitar feedback along some pulverising rhythms make the intro to the title track stick out immediately. The way the band has blended a layer of noise into their music sits so naturally in this mix that you immediately notice when it disappears – which thankfully is not often. It’s clear why this track was chosen to represent the record, as it’s definitely the most memorable track on it. From the amazingly executed intro, to the beefy Khublai Khan TX style breakdown in the middle, to the extremely catchy and melodic outro, the entire track shines from start to finish.

Insignificant Seller follows up this tour de force with a more simplified version of what has worked over the record and is a perfect palate cleanser after the more complex title track. The track takes away all the frills of the previous songs and condenses it down into a song designed to ignite any crowd, ending with a breakdown that allows vocalist Calem Pepper-Freeman to shine, really leaning into the distortion as the track descends into madness.

Exit Wound lives up to its name as the track immediately starts blasting. It’s these moments that the band is going at full tilt that are the most memorable, as they really punctuate the groovier breakdowns and furious vocal delivery throughout the record. The middle double bass heavy section kept me coming back to the song over and over again, and could possibly incite a riot live. 

The final track Cold Blood immediately reminds me of mathcore legends Botch and Converge, which has been a sound I have heard throughout the record. This combined with a sludgy delivery and a longer runtime add up to an atmospheric and crushing ending to an excellent EP. The track is really given the chance to breathe, a welcome change following the relentless pace of the record as a whole. The ending completely embraces the sludge, reaching the same depths as heavyweights The Acacia Strain and Black Tongue. 

This record was a stellar experience and is definitely in my top 10 heavy releases of the year. The decision to keep a layer of noise truly elevated this record and made it shine out amidst a sea of overproduced bands in the global metalcore scene. 

Definitely check this one out. 

9/10