Envy

Canada had Grade. The States had the Orchid. Now, Japan is finally able to claim an emotionally-influenced hardcore band of their own, thanks to the inevitable universal acclaim 12-year-old Tokyo quintet Envy are about to receive with latest offering Recitation. One of the most operatic bouts of dynamic hardcore released in the past decade, the band have a penchant for blending sonic soundscapes worthy of a Baroness album with immediate shifts into octave-heavy hardcore riffs overlaid with passionate screams, hushed speaking patterns and chill-inducing wails, making this stellar. While Recitation does take a bit of time to unfold and sink its fangs into the listener, with its poetic delivery and emotional rollercoaster fuelled by up-and-down musical attacks, the hour-long experience is thrilling, stunning and eventually even pleasantly draining. From the demonic, haunting delivery of "A Breath Clad in Happiness" through "Last Hours of Eternity" and more, Recitation isn't about raging with killer riffs, it prefers to sit you down and rationally explain its position. Still, we sit there dumbfounded and engrossed by its energy and sincerity.