E.P. Review – Lantern For A Gale – Lands More Hostile

From the North Coast of Belfast, Northern Ireland comes Lantern for a Gale – a melodic Hardcore band that could have very well come from the urban streets of New York  with the likes of Sick of it All or Biohazard.  Their gritty Hardcore style, however, has a melodic side; something that adds a little flavor to a genre synonymous with being straightforward and angry-sounding.  Their E.P., Lands More Hostile, contains 5-tracks that are typically a bit longer than you would find most Hardcore songs to be.  By adding a layers on top of short, choppy rhythms, Lantern For A Gale explores more musical avenues.  Is this bad for Hardcore?  Not the way Lantern For A Gale does it.

As We Sleep is probably the song on the album that infuses less of the melody mentioned above.  It is a no-holds barred Hardcore song.  Though it still has a somewhat of a melodic feel, it is less evident than most of the other songs on the album.  One thing I like about the melodic infusion is that it is done in such a way that it is not going to turn this Hardcore band into something they are not.  Lantern For A Gale plays more music in between the lyrics which is a nice touch.  Often, Hardcore songs don’t allow much time for musicality.  Lantern For A Gale makes up for this deficit by adding what’s needed to make full-length songs instead of short anger-induced anthems.  As We Sleep is one of the shorter songs on the album, a genuine confrontational kind of song that defines the genre.   Punctured Equilibrium shows the more musical style by starting off with a gentler guitar intro followed up with more traditional Hardcore tempo.

Overall, the album is infused with more melody than you would normally hear on a Hardcore album, but that doesn’t mean it’s some kind of compromise to attract a broader audience.  Lantern For A Gale is a Hardcore band…with just a bit more melody.  They have done a great job capturing the feel of a no-kidding New York/early era UK Hardcore band.  Their melodic touch, which is a good layer to have, adds a bit of anger management to their songs; it keeps them from being very repetitive. Overall, still a fist-pumping stand-up-and-fight sentiment that doesn’t really let up.  Well done!  You can listen to or purchase Lands More Hostile at Bandcamp here.

Release Date:  2012

Record Label:  Savour Your Scene Records

Nationality:  Northern Ireland