My Epic
Violence


4.5
superb

Review

by Kyle Robinson USER (70 Reviews)
May 31st, 2019 | 22 replies


Release Date: 2019 | Tracklist

Review Summary: It’s never quite the same.

Any fan of bands that might describe themselves as “Christian Rock” are haunted by Hank Hill’s biting commentary toward the genre: “You’re not making Christianity any better, you’re just making rock and roll worse!” It stings because it’s usually true. But sometimes you find a band like My Epic, who write music out of heartfelt conviction rather than marketing to a particular demographic. My Epic’s consistency in crafting their songs around the philosophical landscape of the Christian faith doesn’t just bring them to the peaks, as on 2013’s stupendous progressive masterpiece Behold; sometimes it takes them through deserts and valleys.

Violence is the aural travelogue of these hard places, tackling interfaith conflict, personal loss, anger, and doubt. The darker areas of faith have always been part of My Epic’s sound, such as on “Open Letter”, but they come into focus on Violence. 2013’s Behold merged their various sonic influences - post-hardcore, prog, post-rock, and metal - into an elegantly unified whole. Their successive EPs have tended to explore the various dynamics essentially refined on that last full-length record.

Interestingly, Violence - implied to be their heaviest effort to date - actually sounds like something of an escape from the tropes characterizing their last few releases. It’s not a return to the theatrical and twisty song craft of I Am Undone, but it is something new. While last year’s EP Ultraviolet started with the poppiest song My Epic has ever written, “Bloody Angles” opens Violence with a concise song that encapsulates several aspects of the band’s more ambitious leanings. Jagged rhythmic changes, sonic obelisks of post-metal distortion, and ethereal melodies crash into each other in a surprisingly coherent manner. It’s catchy without trying to sound accessible, which certainly distinguishes it from Ultraviolet’s straightforward opener.

My Epic really hit their strides on the middle tracks of Violence. “Black Light” is a tense, uncomfortable rumination on miscarriage, an erstwhile companion to the terrific “Wive’s Tale” from Viscera. Even if My Epic’s sound is fully formed by now, they continue to take their lyricism in interesting directions, and the earthy nature of the songs spreads their conceptual landscape further than ever before, embracing the difficult and uncomfortable alcoves of Christian spirituality similar artists ignore. On top of that, it’s a great song that balances the dynamic of the band’s heavier and post-rock elements.

Lest you think My Epic is out of tricks, a song like “Spit It Out” offers up a few surprises. It’s the fastest song My Epic has ever recorded, trading the alternative metal underpinnings of other songs on Violence for blazing punk rock energy and a more conventional song structure, and it works surprisingly well. It’s much more compelling than “White Noises,” which is as close to generic as My Epic has ever sounded and the only real weak point on the EP.

It’s worth mentioning Violence contains two experimental tracks that diverge the EP's alt-metal blueprint: “Spit And Blood”, and “Tsuneni.” The glitchy “Spit and Blood” is a counterpart to Ultraviolet’s similarly piano-driven “Voices,” which seems much better as one half of a whole. “Tsuneni” is another uneasy, churning composition that fuels the anxious atmosphere of Violence.

My Epic usually saves their best for last, so it’s no surprise that “Bad Accent” is the best song on the EP, its post-metal riffage constituting the best heavy moments of the record. As great as its chorus is, the massive bridge - its riff teased earlier in the track - is the best moment on Violence, effortlessly merging the band’s aspirations of simultaneous heavy metal weight and elegant melodicism into total catharsis. It’s My Epic at their best, without sounding like old hat.

The only real downside to Violence is that it’s both clearly better than its predecessor Ultraviolet, and weirdly also makes that EP seem stronger than at its initial release. It seems that combining the two EPs and sequencing the tracks differently might have resulted in a complete album that could stand with their best, Yet and Behold - but taken on its own as an EP, Violence is still very good, and My Epic show no signs of slowing down.



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user ratings (40)
3.7
great


Comments:Add a Comment 
Lucman
May 31st 2019


5537 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

Superb review! Behold is one of my all-time favs but I felt the band hasn't quite lived up to that since. This is probably the best thing they've done in the past few releases but something is still missing for me. The two spacey interludes are completely skippable for me, for one thing, and Aaron vocals sometimes strain to hit those higher notes. But still, there are plenty of brilliant moments on here.

instantradical
May 31st 2019


352 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

I feel that Ultraviolet is weaker than the rest (largely because of the first two tracks) but I still love Viscera and think it's an EP-length distillation of basically everything the band does well - I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it as a first listen for someone who'd never heard the band.



Usually I don't like the interludes, but these are interesting. The only song I don't really like here is White Noises.

dmathias52
Staff Reviewer
May 31st 2019


1799 Comments


Still have to check out both of these EPs. Great review and I’ve heard other good things about this one too. Although my favorite thing of theirs is oddly Broken Voice, the acoustic EP, so I’m curious as to how this ranks for me.

Sowing
Moderator
June 1st 2019


44509 Comments


Good review. This sounds like a band I might like.

Digging: Halsey - The Great Impersonator

botb
June 1st 2019


18327 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

Heavy my epic is best my epic

Sowing
Moderator
June 1st 2019


44509 Comments


this is really good
guess I should listen to this band!

Lucman
June 1st 2019


5537 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

Absolutely Sowing, make sure to check Behold and Yet next. The former is an all-timer for me.

dmathias52
Staff Reviewer
June 1st 2019


1799 Comments


For my money, they’re the best clear-cut Christian post-hardcore band out there.

Lucman
June 1st 2019


5537 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

I think I'd agree with that. Wolves at the Gate is another I hold in high esteem.

botb
June 1st 2019


18327 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

Sowing this is so up your alley. Honestly start from This Is Rescue if you can find it but if not I Am Undone is probably my favorite from them.

tyman128
Staff Reviewer
June 2nd 2019


4608 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

great review, the ep isn’t as good as I was hoping, but still amazing nonetheless

and Sowing, take Lucman’s advice and check out Behold, easily one of my favorite albums of all time

Sowing
Moderator
June 2nd 2019


44509 Comments


I think I'll let this EP sink in a little more because I'm really enjoying it. I'll definitely follow up on Behold in a few months though!

instantradical
June 2nd 2019


352 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

Really, everything from Yet onward has been terrific.



The EP and I Am Undone are also good, but they feel kinda underdeveloped and the melodies aren't as good as in the later stuff.

Danred97
July 24th 2019


2544 Comments


The fact that this is arguably their weakest is proof of how solid their output is.

Purpl3Spartan
September 21st 2021


8992 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

Ep is a jam

Digging: Tenue - Arcos, b??vedas, p??rticos

Pikazilla
September 21st 2021


31198 Comments


gonna check

Purpl3Spartan
September 21st 2021


8992 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

Behold is their best for me but this is solid too

Pikazilla
September 21st 2021


31198 Comments


I'll go chrono

got high hopes after looking at the similar bands section

Purpl3Spartan
September 21st 2021


8992 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

Good luck my dude

Emim
December 4th 2023


36054 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

It leaves you cursing while you're trying to pray

This time I think they're one and the same



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