It could be said that the best bands take some of their influences from outside of the genre which they inhabit, bringing new elements into somewhat rigid genres. Whether these moves are always successful can be debated about for days, but it’s always better to look to move forward than stand still.
Hardcore is one of those genres that, despite the high standard of output coming through sticking to the formula can often benefit from looking outward rather than inward. This is definitely the case with Life’s Question, who’s new self titled EP is a blend of classic gang vocal hardcore, some of the best guitar work you’ll hear in the genre (Aping classic bands such as Van Halen and Whitesnake at times) and more than a little bit of Mike Patton (Faith No More era specifically) on the vocals.
The band themselves have been around for nearly a decade, making a name for themselves with relentless touring and making big waves with their 2022 debut full length, World Full Of…. The signs were there then that they weren’t content with simply putting out regular hardcore, but that vision has truly been realised on this new EP. Opening track ‘Light Me Up’ is a perfect encapsulation of the bands sound. Frantic pit parts, a mix of chugging and metal riffing by guitarists Abby and Ridge Rhine and those twisted Patton-esque vocals. The melodies wouldn’t sound too out of place on ‘Angel Dust’.Things continue to get shaken up on ‘I Can Still Hear My Mama Pray’, which adds a guitar solo reminiscent of the aforementioned Van Halen in the end, not to mention some haunting clean vocals just beforehand, though being too far down in the mix to make a big enough impact dampens them a bit.
Not all of these experimentations make perfect sense and some of them feel a little forced in, especially next to each other. The most successful newer elements are definitely the forced melody style vocals and the addition of lighters in the air shredding, as they bookend the band going incredibly hard in-between. It is a shame that the clean vocals from Abby Rhine haven’t been utilized as well as they probably could have, but the seed is planted for the band to expand on them going forward.
The highlight and probably hardest point on the record is ’10 Years, a frantic ass-beater of a track, yet one that shows the band at their most vulnerable, with vocalist Jordan Moten (Who is on top form throughout) in the form of his life, managing to sound as threatening as he does emotional. Aside from the more old school influences, there’s a lot of modern hardcore in here too, with One Step Closer being a good reference point for the bands bouncy, melody driven sound.
To take this as a solid indicator of the bands next direction would be foolishness, as clearly they’re having a lot of fun seeing what works and what doesn’t. The end result isn’t perfect, but it shows that the band are brave and confident that they’ve got more to bring to the table than just breakdowns and mosh parts. An intriguing and interesting record, but one that will definitely gain the band some new fans.