On June 26th, 2012, Mainstream Scare released their second EP entitled For The Record. This six-song release is a perfect blend of catchy choruses and heavy breakdowns, which is a surefire way to catch the hearts and ears of many metalcore fans. Based out of Orange County, California, these five dudes are sure to make a big splash with this release.
The album begins with their intro song, “This Means Nothing”. It slowly builds to a nice breakdown that is accented with the use of pretty cool voice effects on the screams of “Just for the record, this means nothing to me”.
“The Ventriloquist” is up next, and this starts off hard and heavy with a few swift breakdowns and catchy screams including “Yeah, I’m better than you, so show me what you got”. These kinds of in-your-face lyrics are something I love to hear, and Mainstream Scare has loads of them. After a good chorus, it’s back to the grind with another great breakdown, which is a common theme throughout this EP.
The third song on For The Record is “I Wish,” and it is my favorite on the album. It features the catchiest chorus, and contains more pissed off lyrics that make the immensely heavy breakdowns seem even harder. The title track, “For The Record,” is next. About halfway through, they feature a cool piano tune, which is a good offset to the normal synth noises. It’s another strong track, with lots of mosh time to offer.
“American Horror” is the fifth track, and probably the least interesting one of the bunch. It’s not bad by any stretch, but is close enough to a filler track that it goes by largely unnoticed. For The Record ends with “Perfect Enemy,” which starts with an effect that really reminds me of Snoopy’s jaw harp. It evolves into a brutal breakdown, which then transitions into more and more breakdowns. It fades out with a piano groove, and the EP is finished.
Overall, I was really impressed by Mainstream Scare. Their ability to incorporate catchy clean vocal sections in with their style of breakdown-driven metalcore is hard to come by, and they do it better than most. With a handful of solid songs, Mainstream Scare has assured themselves a spot in my most played pile, and they should stay they for quite awhile.
