Over the past couple of years, it’s become the norm for most metalcore bands to share a heavy sound driven by relentless pneumatic rhythms, with clear influence from bands like Killswitch Engage and Crystal Lake.

With that in mind, it’s actually quite refreshing to hear False Thoughts adopting far more of a traditional hardcore sound – something far more in line with the hardcore punks of the 90s like Strife and Earth Crisis. Their current single ‘I’ve Got Friends’ clocks in at a little more than two minutes, but the band make more of an impact in that time than some manage in over twice the duration.

Simply put, ‘I’ve Got Friends’ has an economical approach that leaves no time for flowery middle eights or filler of any kind. The opening riff is arguably the closest things come to “traditonal” sounding metalcore with a few speed driven drum pedals leading the charge, but rather than taking the usual route, this is countered with a sharp edged guitar riff that cuts through with a tone that’s much more closely associated with post metal.

Dropping into the verse, everything slows to introduce an oppressive sledgehammer of a riff, pulling the band much closer to the metal end of the metalcore spectrum, then couples that with a crunch from the rhythm section and throat-caning vocal that’s pure hardcore. The fact that the band have taken what most would consider using for a middle eight and applied it as the musical crux of the verse is a brave move. It makes False Thoughts sound as heavy as hell, and with the bottom end contrasted by siren-like guitars, there’s a lot of ground covered from a musical perspective.

No matter where that heavy riff goes, however, it’s pretty much impossible to tear your ears away from frontman Mike Fenwick, who puts in a perfect performance for the style, and one which has so much intensity that by the time the song ends, you might even find yourself wondering if he could have even kept this up for another verse and chorus. Then, bowing out with a speed driven riff, similar to the opening bars, False Thoughts bring things full circle, making ‘I’ve Got Friends’ feel very much self contained.

This is an almost perfect slab of hardcore. Check out the video below.