There are some things that for some provide enough context to go crazy over, while to others they’re simply just things with very little meaning. The combo of ‘urgent‘ and ‘Zegema Beach Records‘ usually belongs to the former category, and if you’re here reading this, chances are you probably know why that is. Yesterday those words appeared on my screen, and you can bet your sweet tush I made aplenty of affirmative animal-like noises that to this second still resonate in my empty house. So here we are.
CONCEALER are a relatively new group based in Orlando, Florida, whose new EP Heartfelt Entries sees the light of day on November 8 via the aforementioned Zegema Beach, as a joint tape release together with the band’s previous EP dissonance [all that keeps me away]. Today it’s all about them new tunes however, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to present to you an advanced track titled “ableedingsky”, off of Heartfelt Entries. Take a metaphorical dive to the very literal aural pavement from below;
CONCEALER‘s sound harkens back to the early 2000’s metalcore scene right before all that took a turn for the worse (in most modest opinions anyway), yet doesn’t really rely on tropes as much as it does on honest approach to musicianship and what it means to make a lot of ruckus in a multitude ways over varying periods of time in a fashion that makes it stick – and oh boy does it do exactly that with this one. Marrying the mentioned metalcore flair with skramz-y hues and post-hardcore-ish nuances, CONCEALER are destined to find their way to the plate of many even remotely invested to these sonic nooks.
“ableedingsky” is like a sting to the heart and a punch to the gut at the same time, relying on spoken word vocals and an atmospheric low-gain lead throughout its first thirty seconds, before taking a dive into the deeper end of emotionally-laden hardcore for the following passages. Rough rhythms, aerial transitions, staccato breakdowns, I mean… What’s not to love here? Well, the subject matter, for one. Albeit very heavy and enough on its own to create distress in the reader, I think many of us (way too many of us) can relate to the theme one way or another, as explained by the band’s vocalist Tristan:
‘“ableedingsky” was the first song we wrote after releasing the debut EP. It came about as a part of one of our first writing sessions as a group after the last material had been written by passing around demos and semi-completed tracks. It’s an intense track for us, but lyrically it holds a lot of personal meaning and can be very vulnerable. There’s this juxtaposition of the harsh breakdown sections with the cleaner ‘verse’ sections that give a peak into this story. “ableedingsky” is written as the back and forth of perspectives between me and my mom and her drug addiction throughout my life. It tackles how I was in a constant state of paranoia growing up, because she was always high and put me in really bad situations. There’s some of my resentment and her justification going back and forth.‘
If anything, knowing the story behind the narrative adds only more weight into what you’re hearing, and makes the certain type of pain audible on it all the more tangible, emphasizing on the emotional impact, presenting itself in a different way. Continuously struggling with different types of physical and mental addictions while having been in the receiving end of both throughout my years on this planet, I’ll just add that being able to identify with things often leads to feeling them more pervasively, as is the case here. Anyway, take the song for another spin or three.
CONCEALER‘s intention is clearly to pulverize some things and caress others on their way, and you should support them on that path by securing yourself a tape or a digital through Zegema Beach Records‘ store or the band’s Bandcamp page, where you can and should also peep out their earlier EP as well. Do give this fresh OPEN MIND/SATURATED BRAIN podcast interview a listen as well, for some additional depth regarding CONCEALER. Follow them on Instagram as well.
