Here at Cvlt Nation we’re big fans of Brooklyn’s RABBIT, a group who stands out in a sea of bands playing metallic hardcore thanks to their eclectic style and full on delivery. Their last release, 2023s Bardo, was a hit and left all of us excited to hear what was next for the band. Luckily for us, Delayed Gratification just dropped their latest, a skull crushing split with Columbus Ohio’s EN LOVE, another band worth getting hyped about.
EN LOVE starts things off on the A-Side. Citing influences like TRASH TALK, CEREMONY, and the Youth Attack catalogue, their two contributions here are groovy, crunchy, and feature heavily distorted bass and vocals that sound sore-throat inducing. Both songs are solid but “Tethered Corpse” is the standout; a punky mid tempo beatdown that picks up the pace towards the halfway point and features some excellently dizzying guitar work. EN LOVE are definitely the more straightforward of the two bands here and will appeal to fans of groups they’ve toured with including GEL, DESTINY BOND, and SCOWL.
On the flip side RABBIT come in heavy with an ominous intro on “Dead End”, a vibe they maintain throughout their side of the split. RABBIT have historically blended styles together seamlessly and continue that trend here with thrash-y, chugging riffs and blast beats accompanying their mid-tempo metallic hardcore. Their style overall is a little more intense, especially on second track “Supreme Identity March” which features some truly demented vocals and a slow, almost dirge-like crawl that ends with guitars that can only be described as sounding like an angry hornets nest. I don’t remember “Bardo” sounding this particularly heavy and it’s a direction I love to hear the band going in.
All said this is a total ripper; both bands show up with great tracks. Delayed Gratification has some real heat on their roster and this split only further cements them as one of the best modern hardcore labels out there. Pick up the EN LOVE x BARDO split 7” now.
