Sunday 1 December 2019

A Paramount, A Love Supreme - Crisis Meditations EP


Labels: Larry Records/Zegema Beach Records
Formats: Tape/Digital
Release Date: 15 Nov 2019

Tracklist: 

1. Catastrophizing
2. Overshot
3. I Am Young Without Wilderness
4. Mariner East 2

It's December, I've not even looked at the e-mails I've received promoting 2020 releases yet and I'm not doing an End-Of-Year list (UNTIL AFTER 2019!) if at all. I've put a post up on FB inviting people to submit theirs though! There's still so many releases to talk about from this year and I'm beginning with this EP from Delaware (US) skramz trio A Paramount, A Love Supreme. "Crisis Meditations" was released on limited tape in mid-November via Larry Records and Zegema Beach Records. This EP features both songs from their March 2019 demo, which was also their first release. The post-hardcore/screamo scene just keeps marching on with ever-more momentum, so it's just best to go with it.

Soothing and melodic guitar tones are always welcome and Catastrophizing has them in spades. Following those opening riffs and beyond the sixty-second mark, the trio explodes into a noisy and chaotic screamo frenzy, where the harsh vocals sit in the middle surrounded by the instrumentation. The initial sound is above that whole lo-fi aesthetic. Melody is clear but there’s also a gritty rawness.

It’s energetic with less of an emphasis on the post and more on the violence, as evidenced by Overshot, which is more angular and blackened in a way. Introspection is called for mid-way through and A Paramount, A Love Supreme allows for that with a break in the heaviness for something a bit more restrained. That being said, it’s not that way for long and when they do kick back into top gear, guitar/bass textures are layered atop of complex drumming and heartfelt screams.

They invoke thoughts of barren nature on I Am Young Without Wilderness. Perfectly made for this cold December weather, staring out at the hard frost through my window takes on a different meaning with this playing in the background. It’s uplifting though and that’s another thing you get with this sub-genre. It may sound angry and ugly at times, but it’s true and beautiful if you take the time to appreciate it.

Last song Mariner East 2 contains riffs that could be attributed to early-metallic hardcore but in a subtle way. A Paramount, A Love Supreme doesn’t overdo it and allows plenty of room in the song for the musicianship to truly take centre stage. Stop/Start and delivered with palpable energy, it ends the EP in fine style.

This EP is perfect. It’s short but there’s enough musicality going on amongst it’s songs and while it has one hand in the emo-violence camp, there’s no need for dilution. It seems that A Paramount, A Love Supreme have a lot of room for expansion within their sound. It’s early days yes, but this is a proper starter for ten. Great work, keep em coming!

Stream "Crisis Meditations" and buy it as a name-your-price download from the band here:-




Physical tapes are available via the links below:-

Zegema Beach Records US - http://zegemabeachrecords.storenvy.com


Also, before I forget: Zegema Beach Records is running a special contest throughout December, where anybody who orders from them will be entered into a hat to win a Sawtooth Grin "Cuddlemonster" test-press, courtesy of Wax Vessel. The winner will be announced on December 25th, so you know what to do!
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