Years from now, my grandchildren will ask me what metalcore was and I will explain to them that people used to listen to music that mixed poppy, clean vocals with vicious, roaring screams while wearing colourful, tight jeans and sporting terrible fringes. I will have to explain this to them, as metalcore will be dead at this point. Indeed, it was only with my introduction to Rouen, today’s Band of the Day, that I realised something; metalcore has already died. We have now entered the next evolutionary step in the heavy metal process: post-metalcore, with the Dublin-based quintet leading the charge into this unexplored region of metal.
Having released their debut single only earlier this month, the band have already made quite an impression with their brand new sound. The single; “Breed”, carries over the qualities of metalcore, reproducing elements such as the harsh screamed vocals and slamming guitars, yet leaves out the melodies which were often integral to the structure of a metalcore track. Almost in an effort to parody this, there is a section of “Breed” in which a fully tonal and clean guitar riff can be heard, initially sounding as if it will counter the hardcore-style of play in the way expected, yet the riff plays against itself, with notes switching from minor to major, and sounding just as chaotic as the rest of the track.
Through infusing the best elements of metalcore, and bringing together traits from both the punk and hardcore scenes, Rouen have created a fantastical, bizarre, and all together brilliant new sound in the form of post-metalcore. “Breed” is an entirely weighty and savage track full of life, and is self-aware enough to distance itself from any single particular genre, standing in no-man’s land. We can only hope that Rouen inspire more bands to go against the grain of rehashing the same formula, and follow their lead to create something new, different and utterly brutal.
“Breed” is out now and can be downloaded here.