Limbo The music world can always use another metalcore band, right? Deadlands are from Long Island, New York and are comprised of Kasey Karlsen (vocals) and CJ Arey (guitarist/producer). Their sound is a blend of rock bands like From Ashes To New and Poison the Well, paired with Karlsen’s vocal range similar to Courtney LaPlante of Spiritbox, all put on blend with a style that feels fresh and exciting. Seven is their latest EP/effort via Spinefarm Records and it’s a hard-hitting collection of seven songs that are filled with great production, slick guitar work, and visceral vocals that have enough melody throughout for others to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Kasey Karlsen shared, “Our goal is to really bring listeners out of the present world. With all of the crazy crap going on in our everyday lives, we try to take you to different realms. Subconsciously, the music might help you reflect on yourself.” By taking the listener on quite the thrilling ride, Seven marks a new standout moment for not only metalcore, but Deadlands as well.
The set begins with a great vocal performance from Karlsen on “Villain”, paired with some cool electronica-type of production from CJ Arey. Deadlands sets the tone early on, and brings forth a punishing wall of sound that wraps around the listener like they are at the concert themselves in real time. “Die In Paradise” expands upon the ideas that Deadlands are still tinkering with as a young band, and showcase their great metalcore chops. “MORE!” delivers the goods with a cool bass line and bounce to it that rocks along like a Disturbed classic. The world that Deadlands are creating here is dark, moody, and filled with raw emotion.
The lead single of “Limbo” is where I drew a lot of comparisons to Spiritbox in their delivery, and that’s not just because Deadlands is fronted by a woman. The beautiful build-up in the verses to the transcendent chorus is something not usually seen from bands just getting their footing, but Deadlands fully understand their strengths and accentuate them here. “Kundalini” follows with a key cameo from The Pretty Wild to “beef up” the guitar sound that was already a punishing take on the metalcore genre. CJ Arey continues to shine in his production and guitar work, and The Pretty Wild add in some backing screams/vocals to complement Karlsen nicely. “Wither” is probably the only song I didn’t immediately vibe with. It’s a punishing type of song that largely relies on screamed vocals to convey the raw emotion and matches the overall aesthetic and art direction of the album cover.
”House of Cards” brings Deadlands back onto the right track with a visceral opening scream eerily reminiscent of the new Linkin Park singer, Emily Armstrong, with equally great results. The song rewards those brave enough to go through the dark waters of Seven, and makes for an ultra-strong closing statement. Deadlands may not being doing anything alarmingly different than metalcore bands that use electronic elements in their sound, but they are doing this music really damn well.