Metalcore outfit Paradis pull no punches on their self-titled debut EP. From about thirty seconds into the opening number ‘Boneyard’, the London based band truly go for the throat in terms of riffs. Following a lengthy synth based intro, the number crashes into a heavy groove where the rhythms mix metalcore anger with the kind of complexity you’d expect to hear from a prog metal band like Periphery, combined with the dirty guitar tones to match.
The bulk of this opening number tells you almost everything about Paradis. Not only are they adept at bringing the required anger, but the five piece band are pin sharp when it comes to constructing a musical arrangement. For the bulk of the track, the twin guitar assault from Pedro Silva and Federico Di Biase sounds absolutely huge; bigger, in fact, than the featured lead vocal which captures Jonny Weaver in full roar throughout. Despite being the kind of performance where heaviness appears to come first – and this really hits home somewhere around the two and a half minute mark when the band injects their metalcore sound with a brief burst of melodic death metal for extra force – there are some superb flourishes within. You’ll find a couple of meaty bass fills that suggest this is a band capable of an interesting twist or two, a lead guitar break with a proggy flair and a cleaner tone, and a couple of twin lead moments jostling against the dirtiest of grooves. If you came for a purely heavy affair, the slower and more intensive chug that drives a massive and surprisingly simple hook should more than suffice, so whichever way you approach this track, it’s likely to impress.
‘Reflections’ kicks off with a guitar riff that fuses elements of proggy metal with the spirit of the old NWOBHM sound, immediately suggesting something energetic will be afoot. And indeed, once the driving rhythms kick in, Paradis hammer their way through speed oriented riffs that blends their hardcore heart with an old school metal fury. Not that there’s anything especially “trad” about the result. The guitar work is as dirty as before; the bass is utterly devastating, and a guttural voice adds a more typical metalcore focus. Hearing everything together, of course, it manages to be as impressive as the opener, and in some ways, the injection of real speed actually makes it better. Not content with leaving the listener with something that purely relies upon a fiery simplicity, there’s time here for a brutally heavy, pneumatic chug augmented with death grunts, as well as a weird lead guitar break that’s surprisingly minimalist, sharing off-kilter squeals. Factor in a slower, heavier chorus and this becomes the EP’s standout track.
Opening with an incredibly chunky mid-tempo riff, ‘Immortal’ takes a slightly darker turn, and the dirty tones applied throughout really sell a modern brand of heaviness. The addition of choral vocals increases the dark feel during an even slower bridge section, and there’s every feeling that this band are set to crush everything in their path. The guitar sounds may dominate, but a great vocal manages to be even more impressive. Jonny Weaver’s gruff approach lends an extra intensity to an already brutal sounding workout, but at the same time, his tones are just a little more accessible than a lot of hardcore infused metal. As the track progresses, the dual guitars supplied by Federico and Pedro continue their brilliant and hugely chunky assault, but when taking a moment to slow down during an interlude that pushes the choral elements to the fore, they share something even heavier. This, again, should please fans of huge sounding metalcore everywhere. Despite this EP featuring a couple of stronger workouts, this is still massively entertaining, and the same goes for ‘Storm’, where a another razor edged vocal performance dominates on an already heavy arrangement. When it comes to the hardcore influences here, there’s little ground that hasn’t already been covered on the previous tracks, but Paradis manage to make this sound a little different by adding bridge sections where sampled chorale vocals weave a melody over pneumatic rhythms and stops, and the lead guitar occasionally pierces through the wall of sound with a clean, soaring tone. In terms of musicianship, everything is as tight as hell, ensuring that anything that’s already in danger of feeling a little over familiar still sounds great.
Closing the short release, ‘Walking Aberration’ kicks off with a full rumble of drums set beneath a shredding guitar, almost in the manner of a band who’ve attempted to weld hardcore metal to the groove metal of ‘Ashes of The Wake’ era Lamb of God – and more than succeeded. Even when this drops into a more typical metalcore sound, the elements remain very powerful, and Flynn Everard’s drumming is particularly strong. In contrast to a couple of the other tracks, this actually sounds more impressive when things slow down a little. Although the heaviness never holds back, a slower chorus allows for a much deeper tone, and the re-introduction of chorale vocals adds a pleasing gothic twist. For those who were hoping to hear more of a prog metal influence creeping in – as per the opener – they get their wish too, with a complex lead guitar break dropping various angular sounds against a very different rhythm, whilst Mark Kuchmenko adds some really impressive bass work. This number occasionally feels a little less song-based than the bulk of the ‘Paradis’ EP, but that isn’t a bad thing, since it more than suggests this is a band who’ll be capable of tackling even bigger musical arrangements should their future inspire them to do so.
They may still be taking their earliest steps into their recording career, but by presenting a sound that’s dense but varied, on this debut, Paradis already sound like a true force. By focusing a little more on metal riffs over hardcore, they’re an example of a metalcore act that are a little more accessible, but they certainly aren’t sacrificing anything in the way of intensity, With absolutely no flab on a heavy as hell EP, this self-titled release deserves to push the band forward and bring new a lot of fans to the fold. With these five tracks, Paradis bring some absolutely enormous riffs and relentless metal based thrills that fans of heavier sounds certainly won’t want to miss.
September 2024