I think it's safe to say the UK loves Easycore, with countless bands having crossed our radar over the years. Out of Wakefield, We Stand Victorious recently released, Forever Down But Never Out, and here is my review of the band's 6-track debut EP.
Forever Down But Never Out is a straight up Easycore record, no beating around the bush in the slightest. Having said this, it's the type of record that will unlikely appeal to breakdown/gang vocals haters. On the other hand, the EP delivers exactly what those who are always craving the above are after. On top of this, the EP tends to sit on the heavier end of the spectrum, comparable to the likes of Chunk! No, Captain Chunk! or In Her Own Words. Musically, the EP doesn't break any barriers, thought what it does, it does well. In situations like these, the difference in reception between a Pop Punk record and an Easycore one, can be quite varied. Like I said, a Pop Punk fan who dislikes breakdowns, would dislike this at first listen, and there's nothing wrong with that; it'd just be like asking a bitter gutter Punk to review any Pop Punk record - inadequate. Personally I found the vocals were at times quite heavy, however the EP is filled with incredibly catchy hooks that make it easy to overlook any shortcomings you might encounter - you might not even realise that a few of the songs come seconds shy of five minutes, which is uncommon for this type of release. I often found myself on the fence about various aspects of the EP, i.e. the amount of breakdowns across each of the songs, due to the fact that from different perspectives, different opinions can be justified. In the end I decided it comes down to personal preference as there's no objective way to gauge these aspects.
The lyrics to the songs actually have a more serious side than their titles may lead you to believe. The majority of the songs deal with subjects such as touring in a band, cracked relationships, and standing up for yourself, which are not entirely unique to us, though much preferred over hearing multiple ways of how to win a girl's heart over.
The way I see it, the EP meets the basic requirements for an Easycore band's debut release, though I feel We Stand Victorious are yet to reach their potential and have the power to deliver more next time around. It's not to say that Forever Down But Never Out falls short, but rather it's the type of record you start off with and veer from.
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