_{Review by Cerrin Hendricks (@panicpreacher)}

Alternative metal act Alt. from Australia have just released their latest EP Nevermore, a bold follow-up to 2023’s ABEYANCE.  

Starting with ‘Twenty Seventy-Three‘, the band quickly sets the tone for the rest of the journey with soaring vocals and an interesting take on post-hardcore and metalcore meets alternative metal. Whilst the catchy vocals and electronics are the highlight of the track, they do unfortunately overshadow the guitar work, which is a bit buried underneath the pop-like mix. The guitar itself ends up sounding like another synth layer, although the clean guitar of the verse is a highlight of the song. 

‘Blood and Wine‘ features a similar electronic feeling, with a wide array of vocals showing off the capabilities of frontman Dan Richards. The production is crisp and modern and definitely for fans of lighter metalcore acts, with the focus being on atmosphere and electronics over riffs and intricate drumwork. An anthemic track that stays interesting from start to finish. This leads into the latest single ‘Passage‘, with a similar emphasis on melodic vocals. The effects applied to the vocals are extremely effective on this track and give the listener something unique and catchy to hold onto. Once again, the clean guitars are the highlight of the track in terms of the strings. The breakdown on this one is light and catchy, but a bit short lived for my taste. The emphasis is firmly centred on producing choruses that promote intense singalong action from the crowd.

The industrial leanings of ‘Replicate‘ with falsetto vocals in the chorus and more harsh vocals throughout is a standout on the album, mixing their previous lighter offerings with a more heavy side, something which felt like the previous tracks lacked. The post-hardcore atmosphere is still there, but with more aggression on the guitar, which is very much welcome.

‘They’ve Always Lived In Their Castles‘ gives off a similar feeling to Linkin Park with the combination of rapped vocals along with their signature melodic lead singing. The combination of this along with more overt atmospheric elements make for a fun ride. The mix of clean and distorted synths blend together to make some very unique sounds. 

The final song ‘Sucker Punch‘, which was also the first single released leading up to the EP has moments that are a bit more raw than the rest of the record. The heavy vocals on this song are by far the best on the entire outing and make the melodic vocals hit ever harder. The ending breakdown is a part that I wish was twice as long. An extremely strong closer to an ambitious set of songs.

Overall, it’s very easy to see the appeal of Alt.. A fun dive into some very mature topics that does manage to pull it off by the end. In an era where quick singles and punchy content are the name of the game, a futuristic concept record set in a war-ravaged 2073 is a brave choice. Recommended for listeners who want a gateway into the alternative metal and metalcore scene.

7/10

Nevermore is out everywhere now via Resist Records and SharpTone Records. Find your preferred streaming link here.

To celebrate the Evermore EP, alt. will be having a launch show in their hometown of Adelaide on June 20th, featuring special guests BAD/LOVE & Akira Slide.

Tickets on sale now. Ticket link here.

_{NOISE ‘N’ VISUALS is an indie music platform that relies solely on donations and creator funds. If you want to help support the platform and keep it as ad-free as possible, please consider clicking the image above to donate to our Ko-Fi.}