German modern metal collective Half Me have honed a hard-hitting and thought-provoking sound with elements of metalcore and post-hardcore, and which they describe as being “rough, dynamic and bitter.”
The Hamburg band formed in 2018 with the intent to “move into a new direction of creative expression.” And discussing the Half Me sound as a whole, frontman Chris told us: “Half Me sounds like what you think you know of metalcore, just from a different point of view.”
We chatted to Chris ahead of the release of their single Blacklight, which appears on the more recent release of their debut album SOMA, which was released in February. On the album, Chris told us: “It is rewarding to soon be able to consider our work and vision on this album complete. SOMA conceptually illustrates a straight path of mental decay. Each song delves into the depths of the human mind and its perception.”
Blacklight is the ninth track on the album, and opens up with intense piercing instrumentals that explode into life underneath furious vocals. It continues with fast-paced vocals before intense instrumentals return and feed into a chorus of clean but powerful vocals “I had enough of the voices telling me it’s wrong I had enough” answered by a vicious cry of “I fled the obsession by giving in.” That feeds straight into a section of brutal vocals, which drop into a repeating electronic sound before building up to a powerful conclusion.
On the track, Chris said: “We feel nothing less than gratitude for the response Blacklight has evoked. We do not set expectations for those who have not yet consumed the single, other than to experience it for themselves.” Check it out in the video here:
SOMA is packed with equally full-on metalcore goodness, including the pure raw aggression of Distort and the eerie intensity of Magma Hour. But we particularly enjoy the excellent second track Trauma Culture. It opens up with huge rolling drums supporting stabbing guitars and a cool synth sound jumps in alongside intense vocals. Engaging vocals “I know it seems too little too late, Dug in too deep into my weakness, From being struck by bad luck and despair, To suffering the same fate” are supported by heavy stabbing guitars. It’s heavy and typically intense, but there’s something strangely alluring and catchy about this track, so check it out for yourself here:
We also love the sound of the album’s final track, intriguingly also named Half Me, which starts out slightly less heavy but gradually develops in intensity. And it reaches its heaviest point with a breakdown of booming guitars joined by big screamed vocals, which drop into a light instrumental section that develops into an absolutely huge conclusion to the album led by the lyrics “I feel a part of me is missing, Is there something more? Is there something more beyond what I can see?” Check it out in the video here:
The Half Me sound is influenced by bands like Loathe, Alpha Wolf, Kingdom Of Giants, Cabal. And it’s inspired by key themes and topics that Chris explains as: “Our lyrics illuminate the vagueness of human perception and the depths it holds.”
You can follow Half Me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok, and check out their music on Spotify, Bandcamp and Apple Music. And discover more great new bands like Half Me through their independent German label Arising Empire.
Listen to Half Me and more new bands on our Spotify playlists GigRadar Core and GigRadar Metal
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