In Ruins - Prologue EP Review

rating: 4

In Ruins are a Cryodon based metalcore outfit, who are hoping for big things in 2012 with the release of their second EP, Prologue. Having already shared stages with such heavyweights as The Eyes Of A Traitor, Annotations Of An Autopsy and Metal Hammer Golden God-nominated Heights, there is bound to a certain degree of industry interest in the young band, and this EP ticks all the boxes for a successful metalcore release. If you want an idea of their sound, think Hollow Crown-era Architects combined with Parkway Drive and a slight helping of Suicide Silence. The first thing that struck me was how tight the musicianship of the band is. These guys know how to play together. The technical riffs and breakdowns hit like a sledgehammer, with just the right amount of guitar leads and melody to balance it out. Final track Borderlines is definitely the best example of this, with its initial huge breakdown transitioning into a far more atmospheric ending with a wailing guitar line and a powerful, echoing vocal cry from lead singer Kane Pritchard, finishing off with a glitchy final couple of lines, reminiscent of the electronic effects to be found on Bring Me The Horizon€™s latest album. The vocals are strong throughout the EP, with the clean vocals being briefly offered on Illusions and Borderlines being particularly standout moments, leaving me to wonder slightly why they weren€™t featured more prominently. Still, some of the gang chants and pre-breakdown vocal breaks are designed to be screamed from rabid fans in the pit, and hopefully Prologue will be the release that will gain them this passionate sort of fanbase. There is little to criticise here, mainly due to the sheer talent displayed from the band, which I really can€™t emphasise enough. Sure, they aren€™t the most catchy songs, a problem which could have potentially been rectified by the inclusion of more clean vocals, but at the same time, this could have made the songs seemed somewhat forced and made to stick to the standard metalcore structure of verse-chorus-verse-breakdown-chorus-ending, something which these songs manage to break successfully. The breakdowns don€™t feel like they€™ve been thrown in to fuel moshpits, they are built up to well and act as song enhancers rather than excuses to scream for a circle pit, as so many other hardcore bands use them for. My only other criticism would be the timing of the EP. Metalcore is an incredibly over saturated genre, and in order to find a breakthrough a band requires something really special. In Ruins definitely have the song quality to reach a far wider audience and after their two EPs, their success really hinges on the release of their first full album, something which I eagerly await. You can get Prologue as a free download from their website and if the band are playing a show near you then I definitely advise going out, throwing down, buying a t shirt, anything to support this young band. With bands like Architects and Bring Me The Horizon getting Radio 1 airplay, there may be big things awaiting In Ruins yet. https://www.facebook.com/inruinsukwww.inruins.co.uk