_{Review by Kayla Hamilton (@kaylazomboid)}

Vietnam’s premier metalcore act District105 are keeping us on our toes by dropping their new EP, CHAPTER II: THE HATED PROTECTOR. The second instalment of what is going to be a trilogy of releases, this chapter explores struggle from a range of different perspectives. 

Before diving into the music, the striking cover art has to be mentioned. It is proof to me that every single bit of this trilogy has been so cleverly pieced together. CHAPTER 1: THE LOST CREATOR featured a dragon, a symbol in Vietnamese culture that is said to represent the founding of the nation, prosperity and an enduring symbol of strength (or so my research has told me, please correct me if I’m wrong). This chapter, though, the cover features a Nghe, a dog with traits of a lion and a dragon. Not to be confused with the Chinese Foo Dog, as it is a creature unique to Vietnamese mythology. A symbol of protection, it ties into the name of this EP wonderfully. 

Further enshrining the Vietnamese identity of the band, the first track is ‘Dream Of (My Own Death’), featuring LA punk rapper Mikey Rotten. It starts with an introduction in Vietnamese, backed by an eerie-sounding guitar, before launching into a barrage of aggression. While hardcore in composition, the track is drenched in this nu-metal grittiness, particularly from the rhythm section. Mikey Rotten’s verse further dives into that nu-metal element, but it never shies away from its metalcore feel. The vocals go from raw and viscous to deep and guttural, encompassing the emotion present in the lyrics. 

A strong first track can be a little risky, but the band backed it up oh so nicely with ‘The Worst (Bad Dog)’. One thing about District105 is that there is something always going on instrumentally that feels slightly left of centre- in the best way possible. On paper and in composition, this should just sound like a standard metallic heavy hardcore track, but there are layers. The vocal harmonies, the riffs, the slides and little licks turn it into something that is not quite your basic metalcore release. While there are elements of the real early metalcore vibes, ala Converge, and it almost sounds like there is a bit of a homage to some of the gritty metal of late 90’s/early 00’s- like your Coal Chamber, Drowning Pool, etc.. It certainly does the trick as a real pit heavy anthem, particularly with the breakdown, gang vocals and of course, the on-theme barks. It’s both of its time and old school in its execution.

The final track, ‘Addiction’, went in a direction that blindsided me a little bit as a longtime follower of District 105. While I know that frontman Huy Huynh can sing (as he also sings in emo band Now Or Later), it is very rare to hear that on a District 105 song. The melodic hardcore feels in this song are beautifully done. The way it builds and bursts, demonstrating the melancholy, pain and anger that we cycle through when experiencing loss and betrayal- it comes through magnificently.

Ultimately, this is an incredible follow-up to what I thought was District105’s best work yet, Chapter I: The Lost Creator. The way these two releases both flow together, but also show progression from one to the other, it feels as if the band has really found its identity and is slipping into a groove that sounds authentically them. 

I can’t wait for Chapter III.

_{CHAPTER II: THE HATED PROTECTOR by DISTRICT105 is out now.
Listen here.}