Review: Redemption Denied – Nothing Remains

Redemption Denied favor guitar riffing above anything; banging your head up and down, from left to right, is inevitable when listening to their latest release Nothing Remains. With members hailing from Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands, the band is on to their second EP release since they formed two years ago. Redemption Denied might take it slow compared to other bands, but they have been turning heads nevertheless. The reason being their relentless live performance and continuous tour schedule.

Redemption Denied are on top of their game with Nothing Remains. While the band was still searching for direction on their self-titled EP, it seems like they have found a destination on their latest effort. They have filtered it down to the essentials; metallic sounding riffs in vein of early Hatebreed work, harsh vocals by Kasper Hermans that remind me of Death Theat and steady drums provided by Joris Hermans. It all comes together as a fresh blend of hardcore, while holding on to its roots.

‘Lex Talionis’ kicks in hard; singing along while banging your head to the riffing by Timmy Steyls and Kevin Vandeputte, and moshing are guaranteed for this one. ‘Solace’ starts vigorous and is lyrically strong, but just when you expect a climax the song slugishly reaches its end. Title track ‘Nothing Remains’, which was earlier released in September, embodies the true spirit of Redemption Denied. “Pissed off by the daily struggle and expectations of modern society”, as stated on their Facebook-page, fuels their authentic yet classic brand of hardcore and makes ‘Nothing Remains’ the best track of this EP. ‘Asylum’ keeps up the pace of the record and builds up to a powerful lyrical ending; “I’ve lost, I’ve grieved, and learned / To count on one but myself / No love / No loss”.

Altogether, Redemption Denied delivered a great follow-up record. It is a milestone for the young quartet that hopefully creates a stepping stone for a full length release. We can expect great things from Redemption Denied and they for sure keep the standard high for European hardcore. Nothing Remains is available on vinyl (100 clear wax, 100 black wax with white label and tour sleeve, and 300 black wax) via Control Records and on CD via Reality Records.