Hailing from California, Capsize is a five-piece melodic hardcore band with four releases under their belts thus far. The band’s past few releases (Live A Burden, Die A Curse and I’ve Been Tearing Myself Apart) were both incredible, in my opinion, and the progression to The Angst In My Veins seems natural. Capsize’s lyrical content has always been darker than most bands that play a similar style of music, but the members have also taken on a darker approach musically. This darker musical approach is particularly noticeable on The Angst In My Veins, the band’s debut full-length record, which is set to release on September 30 through Equal Vision Records.
The guitar parts on The Angst In My Veins are, for the most part, heavily distorted and aggressive. Additionally, the degree of dissonance is one that isn’t matched by many other melodic hardcore bands. The combination of heavy distortion and dissonance – as well as a somewhat muddy recording – may seem like a disastrous recipe to some, but it works in such a way that it perfectly fits the style of music that Capsize is playing; it’s extremely raw, and it just feels real. Similarly, the vocal style matches up perfectly with the overall sound of the band, as the screams typically sound filled with anger or despair – and sometimes both.
While the record is clearly fueled by anger, it’s not entirely a 34-minute onslaught of aggression. The guitarists display a fair share of melodic tendencies throughout The Angst In My Veins, as subtle – almost haunting – background melodies can be heard on “Linger” and “Endless, Emptiness,” bringing to mind Counterparts’ The Current Will Carry Us. “Calming, Crippling” and “Complacent,” two of the fastest songs on The Angst In My Veins, were immediate stand-out songs to me because Capsize incorporates several melodic and catchy riffs on each track. “Complacent” also features one of the coolest breakdowns I have heard in a long time. In addition to the anger and melody heard on the aforementioned songs, there are also some interlude-type parts on a few other songs, which gives you a chance to catch your breath while still being mildly entertained.
After a few listens, all I could think was that this record sounds like a mix of Counterparts’ two most recent releases. The more I listened to The Angst In My Veins, though, the more it sounded like Capsize – which brings me back to one of my first points: the progression. Capsize has been building up to this release over the years. The music has progressively gotten darker – while still maintaining the passion exhibited on the band’s earlier works. The vocalist still has that same sense of urgency in his screams and the upbeat and pounding style of drumming has remained an integral part of the band’s sound, so nothing has really been substituted; if anything, Capsize has just found a nearly perfect balance between aggression and melody. All of this being said, while these guys are doing their own thing, I guarantee that you will like The Angst In My Veins if you are a fan of Counterparts’ The Current Will Carry Us or The Difference Between Hell and Home. Take that to the bank.
