Sertraline – Clouded Minds & Silver Lines | EP Review


Over the past six years, Sertraline has established themselves as incredible prog-rock bruisers. They’ve expanded their horizons since then and their latest offering, Clouded Minds and Silver Lines, has built on the riff-heavy foundations to offer up five spectacularly bold new tracks. Sertraline’s signature sound includes interesting vocals – from guttural growls to stunning melodic crooning, Clouded Minds has it all. The vocals flow with the music too; as the intro of ‘Inside Out’ gives way to the heavy guitars of the verse, so does frontwoman’s Lizzie Parry’s enchanting vocals, morphing aptly to deep growls. The techniques Sertraline display throughout this release shows their incredible attention to detail; by offering a contrast in style, our attention doesn’t stray from the music once. This is thanks to their eclectic style. As a band, Sertraline refuses to be defined by genres. Instead, they combine prog-rock with tech-metal and throw in a hint of pop-inspired melody for good measure. This results in a variety of tracks, from the brutal ‘Mean to Me II’ to the more synth-driven ‘2205’. Each tune offers something different, both in terms of vocals and musical style. It’s interesting to listen to, and we can assure you that the excellent EP leaves no room for filler tracks. The production of Clouded Minds really cements our belief that the EP is incredible. ‘Isolation’ opens with echoing guitar riffs, perfectly panned from left to right. The vocals on every track sound crisp and clear, and each drum beat captured perfectly. No aspect of Clouded Minds and Silver Lines can be disliked. It’s a culmination of years of risk-taking and hard work. Each riff, lyric, and beat has been carefully created to work together to get heads banging. It’s an EP that certainly left us smiling from ear to ear. Score: 10/10 Clouded Minds & Silver Lines is self-released May 15th