We Die Tonight - Stem the Tide (Own Label)

London quintet We Die Tonight are relative newcomers to the metal scene having only existed on the underground circuit since late 2008. This is surprising, as Stem the Tide sounds like the work of a much more experienced 'core' band; it's a struggle to know exactly how to prefix the -core as there are moments during which death, hard and metal are all suitable. 

Dancing with Daggers, the first of the four tracks on the EP opens up with a breakdown, which is an interesting choice but goes into the harsh/clean/harsh/clean metalcore vocal arrangement we've all come to know and love. Frontman Peter Park has a wicked transition between vocal styles which I'm sure is helped by a bit of studio wizardry but nevertheless, this tried, and often tired, arrangement works exceptionally well. 

Whilst the dual guitars of James Hudson and Nina Silpa occasionally sound a bit thin during the more intricate fretwork, on the the whole the riffs are meaty enough to get heads bobbing. Josh McFadyen's drum work includes some splendid double kick work that ere more towards heavier, Caliban-type metalcore. The drum intro to Salt in the Shark Bite is a bit loose but the song is so bloody good it doesn't matter in the slightest.

We Die Tonight have managed to release an EP that is ostensibly metalcore but draws on enough other genres that it doesn't sound dated. Fans of everything from Carnifex to Enter Shikari would be idiots not to give Stem the Tide a listen immediately.