Year: 2020
Total Time: 15:29
Label Self Financed
HILLTOPS ARE FOR DREAMERS is a very new band as they were formed in 2018 and the self-titled EP is their debut. It has 5 songs of Modern / New Metal, with a total duration of just over 15 minutes. This band’s first attempt has some positives and negatives elements, which we will analyze below.
As Ι previously mentioned, their sound could be described as New Metal – Modern Metal with influences that start from melodic Death Metal, all the way to AS I LAY DYING and KORN. There is a variety in vocals between clean and brutal, the songs are in a fast tempo and the guitars have the main role, drums are like a machine gun and melodies grafted with post aesthetics. We also meet Metalcore’s well known breakdowns. Very good production with a clear modern sound, the one that the specific music genre requires.
Something that had a negative effect on me was EP’s duration, we are talking here about a Metalcore album with a 3 minutes average per song. This a characteristic of Grindcore and Hardcore bands and I cannot remember if I have seen something like that in any another Metalcore band. HILLTOPS ARE FOR DREAMERS have nice musical ideas, but they do not go into the process of developing them. So, the final result sounds hasty and rush, and does not help the band to differentiate.
As a conclusion “Hilltops Are for Dreamers” sounds interesting as a debut and will satisfy all the fans of Metalcore but without shocking them. The band shows that it has potential and good ideas and if they work on the weaknesses, we will hear from them better things in the future.
Rating: 5,5/10
Editor: Nikos Manousis
Related Link: HILLTOPS ARE FOR DREAMERS- Facebook Page
