Modern Day Collapse - Acquiescence Review
I mostly get faded memories when the genre "Melodic Hardcore" comes in mind. The first thing that comes out of my top are bands like Touche Amore, Shai Hulud, and Rise Against. The basic knowledge of any hardcore music fan can point out. Up and coming to Quezon City based melodic hardcore band Modern Day Collapse, just released their high octane debut EP titled "Acquiescence." This EP alone made me want to sit back and relax to the rawness of its intense recording and appreciate the rest of the genre as a whole. Drawing in a clearer vision on how I can picture melodic hardcore.
The "Intro" track was atmospheric; the sweet guitar lines was cut short by the sonic immediacy of the second track, "Resurrect." I didn't like "Resurrect" as a single that much when it first came out. It took me a long time for me to fully appreciate the sound of it. Now in the context of the EP, with the "Intro" and their third track, "Freedom," being sandwiched with "Resurrect" right in the middle, it changed the way how I listen to it. It never felt out of place. The build was unhurried; it never went over the top. The sound was fantastic and speaking of which, "Freedom" could've been a more appropriate single to the EP. The lyrics in that track were more hard hitting by the way it was delivered. It was solid by how uncompromising it sounded.
The fourth track, "Permanence," reeks with rage and sheeny guitar riffs as the lead vocals sense of failure eventually become a mean of accomplishment. Adding a greater amount of momentum to the EP. Three sequences were jam packed into one. Though I still think that this track was the most accessible out of all the 5 (and that isn't a bad thing), I still commend this band for doing such an excellent job for packing in such a beautiful track that felt fluid all the way.
The final track, "Deception," the band finally went to a more classic hardcore punk influence. It didn't lose the sonic clutch that Modern Day Collapse equipped from the very start. The last part of the track came to an appropriate close to the EP.
The 5-track project, Acquiescence, leaves the listener soulless in the midst of a life crisis. An extreme but empathetic vocal performance of their frontman, Emil, the rest of the instrumentals felt like a ton of weights right when you press play. It almost felt like their frontman was on the verge of breaking down on his emotions. The purging guitars that backed on the vocals work pretty well. The majority of the EP contrasts heavily on the light being shined on its heartbreaking themes. The lyrics of each track keeps it steady while the technicalities (song structuring, breakdowns, etc.) do most of the work. I honestly cannot grasp most of the instrumentals at first, I thought that most of the sequences didn't match accordingly with the vocals, but that's what melodic hardcore is for; dominant, evocative, and cathartic. Acquiescence eventually grew on me later on the second time I listen to the thing in full. Modern Day Collapse had me on an easy catch with their debut project. They deliver, and they never disappoint. Modern Day Collapse is worthy of controlling the power of their music. Whether or not this destroys or resurrects them. You guys should definitely check this one out even if you aren't a fan of heavy music.