For an album that references the notoriously bummer-inducing film Requiem for a Dream, Soulkeeper’s Pure Noise debut feels oddly life-affirming. For sure, this is not easy listening, as their brand of progressive metalcore feels joyfully chaotic; it’s the sonic surprises that linger and keep you coming back, as I’ve never had a record so expertly calibrated to terrify uptight midwestern parents that also at times recalls Owl City? The melodic is buried beneath the surface; however, it’s the controlled insanity that reigns supreme. Imagine if Car Bomb tried to write something almost hook-y or if Silent Planet’s most chaotic elements carried out for an entire album, and you’re partway there. Either way, fans of forward-thinking metal and those who also chortle when a song spirals nearly out of control, Soulkeeper have my soul and now my heart.
“I appreciate the Owl City reference,” guitarist Scott Gilmore says. “I was absolutely that kid singing ‘Rainbow Veins’ to myself in my room in 2008 when I was sad. Over the years I have heard from people that Holy Design took a few listens to get into, which is tricky because I can never tell if I should say thank you or not, but there is something to be said about having so much to unpack that it requires more listens, a lot of our favorite bands feel the same (Meshuggah, Chamber, Car Bomb). A huge mission statement for this EP was to double down on what stuck out on Holy Design, so with the positive reception we got from the album, it gave us permission to go even more math-y, chaotic, and maybe even more confusing for these four songs. The third song on the EP ‘Reality Bytes’ was our biggest swing yet, since the instrumental for most of the song is distorted electronic drums and synthesizers it was a challenge to write that in a way that still matched the energy of a full band mix, and our producer Jonathan Dolese absolutely crushed it.”
Join Us In Creating Excellence is out Friday, and you can preorder it from Pure Noise Records. Follow Soulkeeper on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok for future updates.
Photo courtesy of Soulkeeper
