LITTLE RED | CHAPTER 1 - EP REVIEW

Little Red's EP 'Chapter 1' crashes through our speakers with confidence and a clarity that sets this band apart from the slightly overcrowded metal-core landscape.

There are three tracks - Open Season, To Kill a God and You Won't Survive. Little Red demonstrate not only their skill, but their willingness to blend sub-genres, experiment with techniques and deliver a vocal performance that feels genuinely refreshing. The EP kicks off with what can only be described as pure serotonin for guitar experts: the 'bendy boi's' as I like to call them, pitch-warping, tension-stacking guitar bends that ease you in just long enough before the vocalist detonates the calm with powerful, chest-rattling growls held together by a central guitar riff. Then comes the command "RUN" right before the entire band drops into a breakdown that feels like the floor has been yanked out from underneath you. Guitars, drums, and bass all lock in perfectly for a moment of chaos that feels intentional.

From there, the track swerves into a nu-metal-esque vocal delivery, giving the track a swagger that sets it apart from the formulaic post-chorus cleans so many bands rely on. It's a showcase of the vocalist's versatility, switching between screams to a genuine singing VOICE. And of course, the cherry on top: a BLEGH placed with sniper level precision near the end. It's the kind of payoff metalcore fans live for, and it lands beautifully. If I were to give any criticism to level out Open Season, it's that there just aren't enough of those 'bendy boi's - we need MORE. When they're this good, why not give us more?

The second track of the EP wastes zero time. There's no intro, no ambience just a huge guitar riff punching us straight in the gut. Underneath it, there's subtle production textures that buzz, echoing the experimental edge we have started to see in comtemporary metalcore. Reminsicent of Bring Me The Horizon, but with a vocalist who brings a different energy. Her voice remains the centrepiece of the EP so far: assertive, and fully in command of the chaos of the band around her. At the moment she spits "Make Me Wanna Scream", the band drops into a breakdown that hits with the force of a concrete slab. It's heavy without being too muddy, technical without being too showy.

The band feels perfectly in sync, no one overshadowing anybody else. The standout moment of the track comes in the form of a small but brilliant production choice: a gun click right before the final breakdown explodes which reminds me of The Pretty Wild's 'SleepWalker' track where they used a cough before a breakdown. What follows is a double-bass onslaught of drums and a massive scream, layered with subtle vocal effects that amplify the track's futuristic aesthetic. It is pure adrenaline. To Kill a God feels like a mission statement, a promise of what this band is capable of, and a warning shot to anybody sleeping on them.

The final track opens with immediate sensory violence, a full-force assault of riffs and vocals that jump between styles with whiplash agility. The growls hit hard, the screams slice through the mix, and the clean vocals provide just enough contract to keep everything dynamic rather than overwhelming. Where this track particulary shines is in the drums, they drive the track with relentless precision, maintaining a pace that feels punishing yet controlled. It's the kind of drumming that makes you wonder what the live version feels like, loud enough to rearrange your organs and feel those double bass pedals in your feet.

Vocally, the track feels like a victory lap. There's no settling, no playing it safe. The vocalist refuses to pick a lane, instead weaving multiple styles together in a way that feels like both a flex and an artistic choice. Before the track closes, we're treated to a 'Knocked Loose' style BARK, a primal noice that adds attitude and character. Then everything melts back into layered, ethereal cleans - her angelic voice stacked on itself, creating a haunting, almost cinematic ending.

The EP is short, sharp, and bursting with personality. The band displays an impressive range, the vocalist clearly a force to be reckoned with, capable of moving between gutturals, snarls, screams and soaring cleans with an ease that you do not see in a lot of new metalcore bands. The production choices enhance the band's indentity and give each track its own sonic fingerprint. If this EP is a glimpse of what's coming next, then the band is poised for something big. They absolutely deserve more listeners and if they keep writing with this kind of confidence, experimentation, and raw power, they'll get them!