July 30, 2013 • Middle-Man Records
I don't review a lot of splits, but the format has really grown on me over the years as a way to quickly get to know some interesting new bands, especially in a genre you want to explore more. So with that in mind, we have two great bands from Middle-Man Records that are pushing the boundaries of screamo in very cool ways that are worth a look.
Coma Regalia plays a fairly standard sort of noisy, banging screamo, with short, rapid-fire songs. They're noticeably more melodic and a bit milder than more traditional bands like Orchid, resulting in some very well fleshed-out riffs and even some catchy hooks to go along with some atonal, angular guitar lines. However, I think they could probably benefit from some longer arrangements; as decent as their songwriting currently is, their songs don't quite have the memorability and staying power as they could, since they're over so quickly. But the potential is definitely there and I am certainly enjoying their output here; they just need to string it into more powerful and lasting songs.
Greyscale is a bit similar to Coma Regalia, but with a somewhat more dreamy, almost-post-rock approach to the genre that butts heads with an aggressive tone. It's a really interesting combo I don't get enough of. There's some great intricate guitar work going on as well as song great arrangements, with solid buildup and tension release. I'm not totally sure that their big, expansive, murky sound really gels that well with the fast-paced and dense screamo songwriting, though, but if nothing else it's a cool experiment and I'd definitely like to hear more of it.
Both bands are really solid on this split and worth checking out.
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