Pacific Northwest hardcore quintet
Vessels made their big-label debut with
Bathed in Sun. Their fourth EP,
Bathed features six songs of muscular, pummeling rage delivered by bellowing screamer Kylen Reed. Guitarists Garrett Coble and Matthew Perry keep the riffs coming hard and fast while Jeremiah Perry's drumming propels each track with the force of a Mack truck. As Chad Martin's rumbling bass rounds out their sound, it's apparent that
Vessels are tighter and more proficient here than on their previous effort, 2015's Miles from Here. "Underdogs" is an anthemic blast, a furious melee that teases violence and menace with a resistant spirit fighting against a society that's "nothing but the rich man's tyranny." Similarly, the chugging "Cult Minded" rallies against the status quo with bloody force. Beside the typical hardcore might,
Vessels are also capable of melody and variation to their sound. "No Solace" plays with atmosphere and space, while also allowing Reed to rest his vocal cords with some genuine singing. The epic closer, "Bathed in Sun," is another melodic highlight, ending this short set with uplifting guitar wails and pensive, urgent gang choruses. As the band's fourth short-player,
Bathed in Sun is a step forward in their maturation of sound as well as a tasty teaser for what could eventually transpire on an actual full-length
Vessels release. ~ Neil Z. Yeung