Sweet guitar riffs, heavy breakdowns, catchy synth, and piercing screams. Numbers combines these elements of any good ‘core band and adds in jazz interludes, unique clean vocals, and some of the best song writing abilities I have heard in quite a while.
This self-titled seven-track EP packs a punch from the very beginning, and never stops. Their intro song shows off just part of what listeners will get, with a brutal breakdown complete with intricate drumming and background synth for effect.
The intro fades, leading into “Ice On Fire”, where you first hear the screams from vocalist Kyle Bishop. His screams lead into the chorus, and you now hear his incredibly unique clean vocals. After one line of the singing, I was hooked. The song continues, throwing a mean breakdown before another round of the chorus, all the while synth laying the base in the background.
Next is “Bravery”, and as this song starts to get into full swing I am starting to really appreciate the drumming skills of Victor Olavarria. This breakdown filled song is easy to get into.
“Please The Senses” is probably my favorite track on Numbers, starting off ferociously. The singing really sticks out in the beginning parts of this song, especially the incredibly brutal scream of the line “Break! Let the ground be uprooted.” A catchy chorus leads into an abrupt change, with a jazz section jumping into the song. These kinds of breaks in the action can make or break a song, and Numbers makes it fit in perfectly. To end the song, they throw a mountain-moving breakdown.
“Figured You Forgot” has a little bit of everything in it, but it still somehow flows together well. From crushing breakdowns to a soft rock interlude to an ear pleasing guitar solo, this song alone is a testament to the amazing song writing that goes on throughout this release.
“Oh The Monies” keeps up with the rest of the EP, with dashes of every element and is a close second for favorite songs. The amount of different vocal styles in this one song alone are more than most bands have on an entire full-length album.
Numbers ends with “Give It Time” which is a good finish to an incredible EP. Great guitar work keep the song interesting, and a few more good riffs and breakdowns matched with the incredible vocals make for another good track.
Overall, this release could not have been a bigger and better surprise for me. With this one release, Numbers has gone from unknown to top picks in my iTunes. All the different elements that this band brings to the table make them so much more interesting than anything else I have heard for a long time, and I can only see good things coming from this talented group.
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