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Let’s just agree on one thing real quick; while Four Year Strong and Set Your Goals are both great bands with solid debut and sophomore albums, their individual sounds at times feel a bit too polished. Sometimes you just want to hear a more honest and raw album from a slightly more closer-to-hardcore type of band.
One of those bands? Such Gold. Their record? “Pedestals.”
Writing about “Pedestals” is a struggle. Upon pressing play an organic and artistic aggression is forced through your headphones with overwhelming sincerity, but with so much commotion going on in each song, pinning down your favorite parts becomes of a game of hide and seek… Each note is there and gone in a millisecond, and the breakneck speeds of each octave run command its listener to be concentrated on the subtleties of the song’s construction.
The EP starts out with a ferociously distorted guitar, delicately backed by cymbal taps, texturing itself into an all out brawl of “violent melody.” The song, Cut Rides, is a short opener, but it builds itself throughout, helping veteran Such Gold listeners to transition more easily from their older, more pop-esque sound, to their newer and more refined fury. It works well making Scyamore (next track) a more understandable and comfortable change.
Scyamore, like the rest of the EP, has very similar traits to the west coast hardcore sound, with each song being built off chords rather than riffs. Keeping up with each guitar strum is an almost impossible task, seeing as how they pass so quickly. There are gang vocals placed in unique spots, like at the end of lyrics, rather than in the breakdowns (which are another beast entirely). So Close has a gentler way about it, and sounds more closely related to Such Gold’s debut EP “Stand Tall,” but that’s not to say it gives up the hardcore edge, in fact it has faster verses than most songs. So Close is just a little easier on heaviness than the rest of ‘Pedestals” (the cameo from The Startling Line’s Kenny Vassoli might be a tip off).
When bands mature, they usually loose a bit of the charm that came with their debut but maybe thanks to Such Gold’s short history, there is no lack in sparkling attractiveness. They still sound, youthful, passionate, and imaginative on “Pedestals.” Songs like Gutrot and title track Pedestals have an energy comparable to an ADHD 13 year old. Fuse that with melody and pop punk-like harmonization, and you’ve got proof that maturation doesn’t have to abstain from adolescent experimentation.
“Pedestals” takes its listeners through the paces, and by the end of the 15.3 minutes you may feel a bit exhausted due to the mayhem you’ve just encountered. It’s a good exhausted though, and you’ll feel relieved to know that the face of hardcore may be evolving from a gimmicky sparkle to a more worn and heartfelt glow.