I love Deftones as much as the next girl, but hearing bands being compared to them does get old after a while. They are far from the first band to put shoegaze into heavy music, and while they are the touchstone in that regard, it feels reductive in a sense.
And don't get me started on the baddiecore allegations. Why we can't just call a metal band what they are is beyond me, but here we are.
All of this to say that when I first heard Paleskin and their newest album Euphoric End, that was my knee-jerk reaction. I am not immune to the zeitgeist, though I wish I had built up some immunity to it by now. Regardless, this is something truly different in a world full of same. Just when I thought I had this band figured out and pinned down, they throw something different into the pot, and it's for the better.
This is a short album at around thirty-six minutes and ten songs, but there is plenty of mileage to be had. The title track has some octave riffs tucked away into the mix, with the main riff feeling quintessentially nu, with open-string pull-offs and a palm-muted verse. It's a great opening to the record, making a good first impression for anyone unfamiliar with the band.
The Deftones allegations shall not be beaten on "Reflections," sounding like something from their self-titled album, at least until the breakbeat moment. It wasn't unwelcome, but it was a jolt with all of the dreamy synths and flirtations with post-metal to that point. "Valentina" may be the most post-metal of the bunch, with a head-swimming vibe throughout amid low palm-muted guitars and a tight drum groove.
"Near Heaven" may be the most out of left field of the songs here, with blast beats and a black metal opening giving way to clean guitars for the first verse. The second verse leans more into extreme metal in all aspects, punctuating just how much of a change of pace the song is. Also turning the formula on its head is "Do You Believe Me?" with its momentary aggression, as if picking its spot to let out the built-up frustration like someone taking a breather in the proverbial walk-in cooler.
What succeeds greatly is the band's ability to cover a lot of musical ground in a short time. The saying is "maximize your minutes," and Paleskin have done just that with Euphoric End. It is a record that can be put on in the background and enjoyed casually, but giving it more of one's attention yields a deeper enjoyment and understanding of what all is at play, and that duality makes it a record worth seeking out.
Euphoric End is available now via Out of Line Music.
