Great Reversals - To The Ends Of The Earth review

 

Great Reversals had to travel down a long road to get this 10" EP to see the light of day.  It was going to be released via American Enemy Records, but something went awry and the band was left holding the bag on the bill at the pressing plant.  They were able to pull it together to get the release into their hands, and I'm glad they did, because it's a stellar document of a band coming into their own.

In the past, Great Reversals have always garnered comparisons to the likes of Bane and Trial.  While those comparisons still make sense, they have been able to take them and harness them into their own brand of melodic hardcore.  The tones on the vinyl are great, with all instruments meshing well.  The chunky passages carry a lot of power, but the true beauty of this record is the melody.  There are melodic guitar parts that don't just ride in the background.  Instead, they have the ability to propel each song to it's climax and inevitable end.

Of great note for this record is also the lyrics.  They deal with the struggles of drummer, Eric, while raising his eight year old son that is both deaf and autistic.  For me, the best hardcore is always about struggle, desperation and the depths of the human spirit, and this 10" is no exception to that.  The four songs contained on To The Ends Of The Earth showcase a person searching for answers and the desire to be able to communicate those seemingly unfindable answers to someone that he loves.

In addition to the 10" which is available through Great Reversals own webstore (and many distros), it is now available on CD as well with extra tracks from their split 7" with They Came In Waves and an Unbroken cover.  I'm unsure of the pressing info, but the 10" is out there on black vinyl and blue vinyl, and I highly suggest you pick one up.

Great Reversals webstore

To The Ends Of The Earth stream