Carpathian – Wanderlust

Review by Nick Shore | SMUTLIFE

Lurking beneath the depths of the hardened layer of youth crew, tough guy, and metally hardcore lies a restless giant from Melbourne, Australia. Courtesy of Deathwish Inc. in the US and Resist Records in Australia, Carpathian’s latest captivating effort, Wanderlust, is delivered like a sonic avalanche to our iPods and turntables. By combining an assortment of influences and contemporary styles, the result is a surprisingly volatile and dark EP of pure substance.

Featuring four songs clocking in at around 11 minutes, Wanderlust is the next rung on the ladder for Carpathian, bridging the gap between albums while simultaneously delivering a standalone effort. Their skeleton structure is inherently metallic, but utilizes moments of hair raising melody and chill inducing melancholy to generate a completely dark musical aura. Ranging from the epic vibes of “Shadowplay” to the crushing breaks of “Iron Heart,” the EP proves itself as effective as it is versatile, causing listeners to throw this one on repeat without even realizing it.

While remaining true to their original sound, Carpathian slightly polishes their chops without removing too much of the grit which makes them so interesting in the first place.  Martin’s vocals are as harsh as ever, backed by some massive backing vocals, especially during “Monochrome.” The record starts to remind me of bands like The Carrier, but they’re far from just another melodic hardcore knock off band.

Amidst moments of harsh shouting, crushing distorted riffs, and somber lyrical themes, Wanderlust seems to culminate during the final track “Shadowplay.” A soaring lead riff drives the song forward, as David’s thumping percussion further pushes the limits before the record implodes on itself, ending on one final, drawn out, ringing chord.

This is one group who might have easily eluded people’s grasp in the past, but thanks to US support from Deathwish Inc., Carpathian’s reach is stretching out much further than their home country of Australia. Limited color vinyl is available from the Deathwish E-store now, and purchase also includes an instant digital download. Head on over now and quit sleeping on Melbourne’s best.

Carpathian “Shadowplay”

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