01. Wits End - Summer
02. Wits End - Winter
03. Trembling Hands - Eyes Glancing At Hidden Desires
This split is short and sweet, and definitely benefits from that as it leaves me wanting to look up more releases from both of these bands. Oslo, Norway's Wits End are the band I listened to first (not sure who is actually on the A side), and they're a great introduction to a really cool split. Musically, Wits End take musical cues from Suis La Lune, mixing melodic, introspective clean passages with thick, heavy, loud parts that take as much from twenty year old emo as they do from melodic hardcore. The vocals are mainly shouted, which suits the mood perfectly. The songs are titled 'Summer' and 'Winter', and the lyrics reflect and reference the seasons, creating a cool mood that permeates through the entire presentation. The Trembling Hands offering is a single rumbling song that skillfully blends aggression and melody. The middle of this song breaks down into a beautiful reverby guitar line, and slowly builds back up into the initial fury and aggression. The end of this song is simultaneously beautiful and crushing, adding melody to the heaviest part of the song to end strongly.
Reviewed by Justin.
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