Written by Anika Maculangan Often, screamo music is known for having a dramatic flair of ambiance, which in the case of New Misery Records’ 5th release, doesn’t disappoint. Immortalized by Poetry is charged with thematic references to morality, heavy with forlorn melancholy and grief. It utilizes allusions to Greek mythology in saturating these elements, giving a nod to iconographies like Orpheus and Eurydice who both emphasize these dark and chaotic qualities. Brooding in nature, the EP poses as a meditation on the fragility of life, conveying the tragically harsh landscape of hardcore, being influenced by bands like Saetia, Suis La Lune, In Loving Memory, Orchid, and The Spirit of Versailles. In essence almost hauntingly vulnerable, the tracks are at best, aggressive yet profound in depth. The instrumentals are multi-layered, which complements the lyricism’s poetic appeal. Dynamically weighty, the strength of this EP is its ability to be deep without being too zealous toward dismal language. New Misery’s goal is apparent, in the way that thus far in their releases, have shown attempts at redefining the tones that possess screamo as a genre. Yet still remaining intense, that classic gloominess is not removed by their proclivity toward cathartic elegance. They vocalize these measures loud and clear, by delivering each line with amplified rawness. Like a fire brewing somewhere in a wintry atmosphere, the EP develops over the course of one’s listening session. It metamorphoses into just about a dozen different faces, showing off all the entities it can overtake. The EP starts and ends with an apparent transformation, beckoning to change with welcomeness. It calls for sanctum, but also simultaneous movement within disarray, embracing that flux of energy. Similar to most bands belonging in the genre’s spectrum, their temperament toward screamo is more so reflective, packed with tension and conflict, both mirroring each other. They take the listener through a journey of mourning, in the process of loss when balanced with love and longing. It immerses the listener into these transient and fleeting moments, teaching one to navigate these ephemeral experiences. It’s apparent that this 5-part EP of a taster is well-crafted and thought out concept-wise, which the screamo scene is constantly in search of. With musicality that is seemingly perpetual in its state of dissonance, forms a connection between classier bouts of hardcore with its post-era, opening more leeway for evolution. The vibrations expressed throughout the project channel the band’s strong passion for urgency and melodic flow, never giving the listener a second of stillness in their mostly shifting fusion of anguish and malaise. The tracks within Immortalized by Poetry express what it means to contemplate on the troubles of catastrophe and affliction. It portrays and depicts that exact frenzy and introduces that babel in a more intimate light. It makes us seek the coherence in entropy, allowing it to lead the way, in understanding and comprehension. One follows through the journey of the EP, not knowing where it will take you — but just that the journey is exhaustive with spirit and life, making one feel for more unpredictability and spontaneity wherever the grating chain dangles to next. Support the art & the artist: