Reach The Surface – “Felon” [EP] [Album Review]

So, can German progressive-deathcore chaps Reach The Surface provide us with something to spice up the genre? Will their new EP, Felon bend the boundaries of the genre or will it be more of the same old? Well, having listened to it a few times now, it’s hard to find fault with the band however, at the same time, it’s also hard to find anything contained on Felon that will really cause more than a mild ripple across the scene.

You see, the problem is that, while Felon is terribly generic, Reach The Surface make it so hard for you to ignore the fact that, technically, they’re bang-on the money. Their djenty, Meshuggah-inspired tech-metal with its polished, clinical riffing and growled vocals won’t be anything that will spin your head with originality but it doesn’t take long before you’re nodding along to the pulsing guitars or trying to keep up with the skittish changes on “Ultima Ratio” and, ultimately, the fact that Felon is generic stuff but from a band who clearly could smash it out of the park, makes it a frustrating listen.

Track Listing:

01. Verses
02. Resurrection
03. Ultima Ratio
04. Turning Tables
05. Shrouded In Darkness
06. Disembodied

Run Time: 18:20
Release Date: September 4, 2015

Check out the song “Shrouded In Darkness” here.