Sounding at times a bit like a post-hardcore Linkin Park and at other times as clean as Evanescence, I, The Dreamer is a unique sounding band with a powerful presentation. Their debut EP Shadow Hearts, on Standby Records, gets released on September 1 and contains five stellar tracks to introduce the band to the world.
Surprisingly, the EP doesn’t contain their previously released singles Old Souls or Battle Scars, but believe it or not that’s a great thing. While Battle Scars and Old Souls showed a band in progress, Shadow Hearts shows a much more completed picture – the production is superior, the songs are a little harder and at the same time a little catchier, giving a much more fun EP to listen to.
The opening track Rise is a powerful punk rocker with a good mix of hardcore and pop with great vocals by dueling vocalist Matt and Alex. Echoes sounds like a great single and should generate some radio play on harder stations. Fearless is a bit slower, but flows well with the EP and would be a great live song. The Black And White of Sleepless Nights would have been a better track with a little less of the screeching vocals because it’s the slowest of the five tracks, where Dangerous Thing benefits from the shouting vocals much more than the slick vocals. Dangerous Thing features the best drummer on the EP with some killer double bass from Toby.
The band is solid and worth checking out. Hopefully these Birmingham rockers will make it out to North America some day and share their live show. There’s enough of a mix of melody and hardcore to make fans of Linkin Park and Korn look to the future of the post-hardcore/nu-metal genres.
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