Fast-rising Singaporean metal outfit RESERATE release their debut LP, ‘Introspect’, a hard-hitting, no-holds barred affair that pays homage to the alternative music of the past, whilst still succeeding in pushing the genre of metalcore forward.

Opening up the album is the monolithic, ‘Monochrome’ which comes out of the gate swinging with a beautifully chaotic cacophony. The guitars are visceral and intense, while the electro-stings permeating the track harken back to groups like Pendulum. What underpins the track is a keen sense of melody, one that is never lost despite the mayhem that unfurls over the top of it. Following on from this is, ‘Break The Silence’ with the electronic influence being embraced within the early stages of track, with this driving the melody forward and the guitar taking more of a backseat. The verse is very pop-friendly and could easily be mistaken for a dance track before the guitars come back with a vengeance in the chorus.

‘Pull Out The Blade’ breaks through your speaker with yet more genre defiance, with the big beats providing an almost Soundcloud-rap sound which pulls the listener into a false sense of security before breaking into what is perhaps the most aggressive metalcore of the album. The refrain, “you’re fucking fake” embodying this. What is truly a joy to behold is the sheer talent of RESERATE as musicians, it could be easy to lose the tracks’ many tempo changes within the cacophony but listen closer and there’s a real treat in-store. ‘Weightless’ only builds on these foundations with track instantly opening up with a very Tom Morello-esque guitar riff, with the vocals matching this darkness and bringing with them a tidal wave of darkness.

The undeniable highlight of the album is, ‘The Longing’, with an intro that again pays homage to the past, taking inspiration from bands like Blink-182. Even when the track’s breakdown hits it’s not quite as heavy as the rest of the album and is somewhat introspective as the vocals trickle through your speakers with an intense intimacy. You wait for a breakdown that never comes, rather the chorus continues in its not quite pop-punk vein and is truly a wonderful track. As the track begins to close the heavy, metalcore again returns but it feels earned this time. As the screaming kicks back in it feels cathartic.

Closing out the album is, ‘Introspect’. A light electronica again opens up the track while a beautiful piano score soon comes into the mix. It’s tender and beautiful, equal parts joy and sorrow. Soon the melody picks up but not into the aggression we’ve come to expect, but rather the drums provide a pop-focused styling. The chorus in particular leans into this pop styling and sounds almost akin to Yungblud. It’s a sorbet of a track, cleaning the grime from the pallet as the album draws to a close.

‘Introspect’ is a truly refreshing outlier within the metal scene. Not a record to rest on its laurels, it instead blends influences from both the past and the modern day, and intricately crafts an album that is equal parts anger and beauty.