Hardcore quintet Stick To Your Guns have released an exciting new EP titled Better Ash Than Dust via Pure Noise Records. The lads are currently on a hefty tour promoting the EP however having listened to this band for the first time today, I can honestly say already that it sells itself. Jess Barnett on vocals provides a fierce start to the EP with the title song to kick off the release. There’s a solid mixture of hard hitting vocals and more cleaner ones to compliment each style. It reminds almost a mixture of Bring Me The Horizon and A Day To Remember except with their brilliant unique twist. The song ends with a speech of some kind that truly reflects the creativity of the band. Next up is Universal Language which is just as hard hitting as you can get. Guitarists Chris Rawson and Josh James both produce some incredible riffs and create such a easy listening beat. The song itself almost has almost got a Linkin Park infused chorus with a little bit of Bring Me The Horizon’s Sleepwalking thrown in for good measure. The third song on the EP titled No Tolerance sees Barnett straight away utilising his incredible vocals and this particular song sees George Schmitz really coming into his own with some awesome drumming skills. The penultimate song titled The NeverEnding Story actually has a killer bass line with Andrew Rose producing an awesome display that really adds to Barnett’s ferocious vocals. This has more of an anthem feel to this however with the chorus and it creates an incredibly catchy track however it also creates the breakdowns that you’d expect from the band. The EP ends on a really solid track titled The Suspend and creates a more emotional experience for the listener than other four tracks. You can tell the anger in this song and you can really tell that it means a lot to the band. Even the lyrics ’til’ relieves me’ repeated over, just creates an authentic and meaningful insight to the band and really is a fitting way to end the EP.
Rating 9/10: A really solid effort from Stick To Your Guns, I can see this EP doing well in the rock charts.
EP highlight: The Suspend really hits you hard and shows you what the band is all about