Miles Away - EndlessRoads

Fri 3rd Sep, 2010 in Music Reviews

The advantages of time and experience are priceless, and for Perth five piece, Miles Away, the benefits of these advantages are obvious on their third release Endless Roads.

The group are no strangers to touring the world and working hard for their name, which now, thanks to a long stint in Europe, is as recognizable as ever. Their song writing has matured since their previous record, 2007’s Rewind Repeat and incorporates some variations to the punk/hardcore genre which shows that these guys are willing to progress.

The record begins with a short but solid drum driven introduction which leads straight into first track, Seasonal, a straight up hardcore affair, given a unique touch thanks to the guitar tones, which are rough and overdriven as opposed to the polished distortion that this genre defaults to these days. The first single, Ghostwriter, is the first glimpse into the band’s new found diversity, as melodic as it is anthemic, this makes for one of the album’s best tracks. Another highlight is the title track, Endless Roads, which begins with a heartfelt guitar riff and progresses into a powerhouse, with desperate vocals that hit their peak near the song’s end.

The album was recorded in New York with producer Dean Baltoutonis (Sick Of It All, Modern Life Is War), who was clearly a good choice, as this is the band’s best sounding release, from a production aspect.

The band bring in the heavy melodies, and even some clean vocals, for The Constant and Rain Eyes before punishing the idea of melody with the quick but brutal Skeleton Key. Album closer, Hearts And Minds, attempts to combine the ferocity of the album’s heaviest moments with some soft and musical sections but falls a little short, a shame as every other track is virtually faultless.

This is possibly the most interesting Miles Away record released so far and should manage to keep old fans happy whilst also offering something new. If the band continue to take small but solid steps forward, like this one, it’s hard to see them ever releasing a bad, or boring, record.