Reactions is a band from Australia that I only found out about recently. When I was asked to write a review about their new 7”, I listened to one track of them shortly and said yes. It’s always cool to get to know new bands and this one sounded very promising. The new 7” called Out of the Dark will be released through Arrest Records and here’s what I think of the record.

Out of the Dark starts with an ‘Introduction’ that shows instrumental experimentation which makes it hard to judge what the band is going for. However, the guitars and drums sound great and when the vocals kick in it sounds beyond promising. ‘RIP’ starts with vocalist Lachy Pitcher yelling and kicks you in the teeth with the aggressive guitar riffs and thick drums. The vocals sound great and ‘RIP’ is a song that holds a lot of two-step potential. ‘Sacrifice’ starts with another song used as a sample and gives a lighter tone to the record. Then the drums kick in and make you want to go mental. The song is hard, in-your-face and one of my favorites on this record so far. The guitar solo and Breaking Bad-sample are also a nice bonus.

‘No Loose Ends’ starts slow and builds up for a while but is another no-nonsense Hardcore track filled with energy, aggression and a clear message. Reactions is a great example of what Australia can bring to the table. ‘Perseverance’ is a slower/mid-tempo track that shows a more darker sound. The slower pace gives the guitar more chance to be heavy, and sounds nastier than ever. Last song on this record is ‘Out of the dark’ and kicks in with a sick riff. This song is another uptempo banger. The leading riff of this track is really catchy and will stick with you. It’s a good ending to the record, but it feels like something is missing.

The EP is great and it really shows Australia’s potential. Bands like this and Warbrain, Thorns and Outsiders Code show that Australian Hardcore is far from gone. This record holds six powerful songs and show us what Reactions is capable of. However, I miss some experimentation and it gets a bit repetitive after a while. The record is too short to really get annoyed by those obstacles and that’s why it’s a strong release. I really hope they experiment more and grow over time so that they will be more diverse in the future. But for now this EP is more than fine. For fans of: Warbrain, Thorns, Outsiders Code, Proclaim, Imprisoner, Break Even, Concepts, Donwside. If you’re into all kinds of Hardcore you should probably like this too.

Track list – Out of the Dark:

1. Introduction
2. RIP
3. Sacrifice
4. No Loose Ends
5. Perseverance
6. Out Of The Dark

Reactions: Facebook / Bandcamp / Order Out of the Dark

Written by Nigel