'Nothing Is Broken For Good': Idle Threat's EP oozes what we love about hardcore but lacks defining textures
Hardcore/indie rock band Idle Threat are set to release their new EP 'Nothing Is Broken For Good EP' on August 21. The first EP to be delivered via their new label Tooth & Nail Records, 'Nothing Is Broken For Good' is the band's second big project since the 2016 release of their 'Grown Tired' EP.
Hailing from Nashville, Tennessee the trio began channeling a mix of styles in the realm of rock, ranging from post-hardcore to emo, and after near two years of continuous touring, Idle Threat have polished their sound to a more niche level. Idle Threat's members include Justin Jones, Zeke McKinney, and Ernie Fabian.
As aptly explained in a press release, 'Nothing Is Broken For Good' "offers a response to Grown Tired’s air of lament by channeling hope and optimism in both lyric and instrumentation." Describing the EP's inspiration, the band said, "Nothing is Broken For Good is about temporal pain and suffering and the endurance that it takes to remain hopeful that it will come to pass."
Right off the bat, 'Nothing Is Broken For Good' is both explosive and satisfying. With a generous offering for an EP of 6 tracks, the group has found a way to showcase the rich variety of their sounds in a concise way. It punches on the harder moments and can also be soothing on the scaled-back grooves. Instead of showcasing their rock and roll TNT like many hardcore groups do in the first track, the opener 'Nothing Lasts Forever' airs in soft and slow within less than two minutes. It alludes to an empathetic personality of the band before letting you scream or growl your pain away.
Then rolls the midtempo 'Empty House', which adds distortion and pounded drumming to lift your melancholy to a state of self-motivation. Its lyrics are an introspective search for the inner "whispering" that would light the exit of one's own proverbial prison. The "Empty House," being the state of mind that is supposed to feel like a place of rest but has you feeling, well, empty, is translated well in the track as the screaming in the chorus captures that frustration: not in the sense of rage but rather in the championing your own negative alter ego.
For those who prefer to let it all out, 'Restore/Repair', trades in the inspiration for a guttural screamfest. We all could do with one of those from time to time. Its follow-up, 'Throwing Stones', is vocally one of the best tracks on the EP. Betwixt the kick-in-the-gut growling, the singing gets an arresting harmony and Zeke's voice is notably a showstopper. Another vocally powerful track is 'Cement'. The song was released prior to the EP and is about "keeping faith through the loss of loved ones with the promise that death, too, is only but a moment," according to the band.
You can listen to 'Cement' here.
Idle Threat has captured all the desired elements of hardcore, with screaming vocals, heavy guitar riffing, and perfectly juxtaposed rock crooning, but that is also where the EP falls short. We don't disregard the fact that electric guitar, bass, and drums are powerful instruments that deserve to come to the fore in every song, but the EP could do with some more defining moments: added textures in the instrumentation or vocals, even if subtle or softened, would make a world of difference. It needs layers that gesture something unique. Or, in short, adding just a touch of extra flavor won't put anyone off a traditionally loved thing but teases enough for intrigue or curiosity.
For post-hardcore, punk, emo lovers, 'Nothing Is Broken For Good' is certainly a must-listen and is a solid, resounding, and concise project by Idle Threat that we recommend.