I’m not a stranger to the “djent” scene, or progressive metalcore, as it may actually be deemed. Periphery and Vildhjarta were two of the bands that introduced me to this style, although both have since gone on to craft their own respective sounds, steering far from the core sound of the scene. This has not alienated me, however, and I’ve managed to find enjoyment in bands like Northlane and In Hearts Wake, as well as Veil of Maya’s, After the Burial, and even Volumes at times. Essentially, bands like the aforementioned have braced more of the “metalcore” aspect of the stylings, but don’t shy away from the progressive aspects,like virtuoso guitar work, time signature changes, and other varying trivialities to their music that deviate from the tried formula of modern metalcore; gone are the days of  Killswitch Engage and Trivium clones, as popularity shifted focused on melody and progressive bands, even in the most mild sense.

So you would be surprised to find out that Northlane and In Hearts Wake both, quietly, recorded an EP together earlier this year, just in time for the Australian tour they are embarking on come June. The bands revealed that they will be performing the EP in its entirety on the tour. Cool, right?

If only if it weren’t so disappointing to begin with.

The truth about the Equinox EP is that it is uneventful, uninspiring, and unremarkable, no matter how you attempt to describe it. Going into this EP, I was expecting something of a mix between the latest releases of both bands, Northlane’s being the critically well received Node and In Hearts Wake’s Skydancer. Both exemplified greatness on those releases and proved that they could stand on their own without having to cling to labels for the sake of genres. In no way was I expecting Equinox to legendary, but for a collaborative effort, the bands put together something so cliche and boring that there’s hardly anything remotely beyond basic metalcore song arrangements and a lot of the ambiance that was present on Node.

It’s an unfair comparison, but the collaborative effort taken on by The Body and Full of Hell was an example of bands pushing their extremes to a new height and doing something unique and new. Bands should not always strive to do something new, yet when the nearly 12-minute effort that ten musicians put out consists of two legitimate songs and an unnecessary interlude to link them together, it fails to be anything more than a half-baked idea. In actuality, it  just seems like a cop out, making the EP feel rushed, despite the EP having a lack of direction and simply ends with no dynamics.

“Refuge” and “Hologram” are the only two songs on the EP with vocals, and as I’m writing this and listening to it for the fifth or so time, taking the time to digest it between listens, I can’t help but find anything to say about them that would sell this release. “Refuge” is a standard metalcore song in which it leans more towards In Hearts Wake’s aggressive style with a large Northlane chorus attached to it, which repeats one time too many an drags the song out for too long. The EP leans in Northlane’s favor, it seems, in which it becomes more obvious on “Hologram,” a track that seems like it were thrown out early on in the Node songwriting sessions.

The mix on the album is utterly bland, as well. There are the great, atmospheric moments from Node, but they sit in the back of the mix as everything stays at a monotone level throughout; even in the parts that are intended to be quieter quickly become nothing more than background music to whatever it is you’re doing.

Equinox is best described as premature and rushed. One could see the bands wanting to do something special for their run of dates in Australia, but with more time in preparation and a unique spin on it could have made this far more interesting than it is initially is. Both bands have done so much better, and on paper this idea is a really great one to pursue, but the lack of vision and the originality from two bands who are generally not given this kind of criticism only makes this all the more embarrassing.

You can stream the EP below.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEffO4kpFTk[/youtube]