Back again with another premiere from one of the best newer labels out there, Dark Trail Records. If you for some reason thought that ’00s mathcore sound died with the end of The Dillinger Escape Plan, you have got some catching up to do. Fortunately there isn’t a much better place to start than with Under the Pier. The Baltimore-based group blew up last year with the release of their debut LP Puff Pieces, to high praise, and are back already with another full-length, An Exercise In Discontent, set to release next week! How spoiled are we. If you like crunchy chaos with an affinity for keeping things disgustingly heavy, dive into the music video for their new single “Fabulous” below.
Over the past year the band has moved up to seven strings, and combined with the Pedram Valiani (Frontierer, Sectioned) mix gives it an even more massive sound. Within all of the disjointed dissonance there’s this contagious energy that’s revitalizing and gets both your brain and your body going. It’s really what mathcore often does better than most other metal subgenres, that perfect blend of engaging groove and technical insanity. Like the grindy The Red Chord influence in both the instrumentation and vocals is terrifying don’t get me wrong, but I can’t help but find some of these riffs and breakdowns straight up… fun? A bit of that whitebelt enthusiasm never hurt anyone, and Under The Pier are all the better for it. They’re obviously not the first to do it, but being able to nail the discordant and the harmonious at seemingly the same time is memorable and great for replay value.
The striking video accompaniment echoes some of that sentiment in a roundabout way. Colorful, erratic, uncomfortable and striking. An unsettling display of beauty and pain. Anyway, An Exercise In Discontent is shaping up to be a mathcore banger and if that sounds like your cup of tea, you should pre-order it on Bandcamp, out through Dark Trail Records on October 8th.