Review by Shadowdoom9 (Andi) for Coldrain - Through Clarity (2012)
Formed in the late 2000s, performing in big Japanese music festivals and ending up in soundtracks for sports games and anime series, it was the first half of the 2010s when they really started fitting well with the western scene. The mini-album Through Clarity sounds heavily influenced from the titanic UK metalcore band Bullet for My Valentine, with production by David Bendeth who would also help mixing albums by Bring Me The Horizon and Of Mice & Men. All that has really paid off...
After the release of their next album The Revelation, the band ended up on tour in the UK with BFMV, and they would also be signed to Raw Power Management which has the bands David Bendeth worked with including BMTH and OM&M (the latter acronym sounds like a candy). And it's all thanks to Coldrain's musical direction.
The EP bursts into the opening track "No Escape" which was already a pre-release single a month in advance. Heavy riffs go as lightning fast as thrash alongside relentless drumming and screams in a seamless that would leave even metal purists hungry for more. While all tracks in the EP are equally strong standouts, that one is the most unique in the vocals ranging between cleans, screams, growls, and whispers. A perfect combination! If you wanna sink into soloing waters, look no further to "Persona" with a beautiful soloing bridge before the final chorus. "The Future" is unfortunately slightly corny, sounding more forced with lack of emotional spark. It sounds more generic and fits better in a plain emo-rock album like their debut Final Destination. That's why this EP rating is a half-star short from perfection.
The much better "Six Feet Under" has brilliant vicious screaming with lyrical insanity, though there's still its melodic nature. That's the alt-metalcore/post-hardcore you're looking for! It has the perfect marriage of heavy screaming and melodic singing, along with heavy guitar groove. My personal favorite here is "Never Look Away". After a soft riff and delicate vocals, the torrential onslaught rises and builds up into an intense crescendo achieved in the chorus, and the momentum is maintained. The ending track "Inside of Me" is the most BFMV-inspired song, a bit like that band's hit "Tears Don't Fall", and the solo near the end would make you deny that this is the end of the EP.
Through Clarity is the EP that would eventually spark the impact an eastern band like Coldrain would have in the western metal scene. Almost none of the tracks are super weak, and the EP is indeed a grand prelude to the next full album. The west shall let in the eastern storm!
Favorites: "No Escape", "Six Feet Under", "Never Look Away"