Band: Inlow
Title: s/t EP
Label: Unsigned
Release Date: 2010
Review By: Steve
Track Listing:
1. Austin Was A Mute
2. I’ve Got a Hot Date with a Cold Shower
3. Ecclactide
4. Immolation
So, I just did a review of Inlow’s first EP entitled Prayers, which was a good and solid debut EP from a bunch of young men in their late teens and early 20s that you can check it out here. Like the hardworking young men they are, Inlow started recording new demos right after releasing Prayers and have decided to release those demos as a new self-titled EP.
I have to tell you that the short time between Prayers and this EP, Inlow has really improved their sound. They were hard in Prayers but this new EP is a lot harder than that. I am definitely excited about the improvement they made over Prayers. I know that bands and athletes are worried about the “sophomore slump” but you can definitely tell the improvement in the darker sound of the songs as well as the song writing.
I like what Inlow does with their spin on post-hardcore/screamo. Instead of only screaming in the choruses, they use clean vocals in the choruses and scream for the majority of the album. Vocally and lyrically, these young men are years beyond their age. They write deep spiritual lyrics and not cookie cutter, barely scratching the surface lyrics. At the end of “Austin Was A Mute” Caleb screams “If you don’t have faith then don’t even waste your time in taking the plunge / Decide, no, discover that its all been planned, leave off what’s unsure. / Leave behind the insecure novelties you hold so tight. / They’re only weights that drag you down, can’t keep this pace, they’ll make you drown and bury you in the end. / It’s time to abandon what you thought was safe. / It’s time to put it to death and take it to your grave.”
Musically, I like that Inlow went a little darker in their sound than was present in Prayers. I love the breakdowns and riffs in this EP. Inlow’s sound is nothing new in the genre but it doesn’t have to be to still be good. These guys remind me an awful lot of early blessthefall. The best song on the EP is Austin Was A Mute because it is the hardest song on the EP and had some of the best lyrical content.
Overall: Inlow does a great job of progressing from Prayers to this EP. If you like post-hardcore and like old blessthefall, then Inlow is definitely, a band you should check out. With some good screams and clean vocals as well as some heavy breakdowns, Inlow is definitely going to catch some attention with their latest release.