Birmingham’s alt-industrial mob This Burning Age are back, with the second EP in a planned four EP cycle. Devotion sees three more tracks of blended electro-rock. But is it any good?
First things first, the artwork is fantastic, being a reverse colour image of the white on black of the first EP, Supplication’s, cover. Opening track, the wordily titled ‘There Is No Hope Except For That Which You Give Me’ opens with a muted guitar line and the song’s title chanted as a refrain by vocalist Friday. Things build up layer by layer with a steady, snare driven drum beat and a grunting bassline before opening up into a more sparse section. Things build up again, with some nicely layered electronic drums and a second climactic crescendo. Things end in good time, without feeling overwrought, with the only real downside being the slightly awkward and over relied upon vocal refrain that persists throughout.
‘Hollow’ is a step up, and arguably the best example of what the band are aiming for with these EP’s. Somber piano chords kick things off and the rest of the instruments drop in hard with a rocking riff and a nice, moody bass rumble. There’s some excellently implemented electro noise, with synths and effects laden vocals shimmering in and out with a very slight David Bowie vibe. There’s some nice juxtaposition between light/shade as things fade out into a more subtle, far-away synth passage before everything else sledges back in, wrapping it all up with a delicate synth outro.
Closer ‘Nothing’ is arguably a tad weaker, phasing in with a weird, droning sound and some jangly atonal guitar. There’s some rapid snare work, a driving bassline and some chaotic riffage, a pseudo-punk sensibility that carries over into the harsher vocals, a great tempo, stuttering electro noises and an exceedingly Prodigy influenced drum sequence. But it all feels a little underwhelming and a tad directionless compared to the preceding tracks.
Overall, this is a tighter and more focused offering than it’s predecessor, but it still lacks a certain fullness, a certain bite that would elevate it into the realms of greatness. Still, if they keep getting better with each release, This Burning Age will be truly something over the next two EP’s in the cycle.
