EP Review: Tenements – What Doesn’t Kill You Is Only Getting Stronger

Glaswegian Rockers Tenements latest E.P is the atmospheric, socially aware and brutal ‘What Doesn’t Kill You Is Only Getting Stronger’. Opener ‘The Fear’ (video link below) rises up from the gutter and kisses you Glasgow style right between the eyes. It’s short punchy and grabs the attention. The switch from melodic to heavy cold demonic vocals is evident throughout this impressive release. ‘Civil Unrest, An Intonation’ is a spoken word intro over ambient Metal that may have worked better as the first track. A well-blended cocktail of new ’n’ old styles comes together perfectly on the sublime ‘Permanent (More Than A Memory)’ before ‘You Could’ve Fooled Me’ ricochets through the genres. ‘Lucidity, The Clarity Of Expression’ is the second spoken word song and yes this cut ‘n’ paste message works but it would add so much more if the paraphrasing and music were incorporated into a track rather than being an individual one. A sparring ‘Silhouettes’ is left behind by the truly inspired ‘Thoughts And Prayers’ which is a Metalcore benchmark. The E.P’s final cut is another sumptuous stinger, ‘Standing On The Backs Of Angels’. This release just needs a few artistic tweaks to bring it all together because the songs have the individuality needed to succeed in a crowded Metal market. Tenements have produced a Metalcore E.P of style, substance and honesty.