Of Mice & Men - 'Timeless' EP Review

Tracklist:

1. Timeless

2. Obsolete

3. Anchor

California Metalcore titans Of Mice & Men have returned for their latest EP, 'Timeless', released through SharpTone Records, their first release for the label.

The EP begins with the title track, ‘Timeless’, which throws you in at the deep end with a crushing riff and phenomenal drum work. Vocalist Aaron Pauley is in great form, with an immense power behind his voice in the screamed verses and soaring choruses. It shows that OM&M aren’t going anywhere any time soon, and backs up their past two phenomenal releases, 'Defy' and 'Earthandsky'. It is relentless, especially in its breakdown, which is sure to get crowds moving.

Second track ‘Obsolete’ follows suit, with a perfect transition from the previous track. This time, there’s a more mechanical feeling in the intro and outro, before launching into some dual guitar work and a vocal callout to start the song properly. Each band member works incredibly tight together to produce an absolute juggernaut of a Metalcore song. It goes above and beyond ‘Timeless’, with even more aggression. Pauly’s bass lines are phenomenal, especially in the bridge, before everything comes crashing back in. It's the longest track on the EP at 4:25, but it certainly doesn’t feel like it with its fast pacing.

The third and final track, ‘Anchor’, once again transitions perfectly from its predecessor. There’s a more menacing feel at the beginning, which gives way to a more emotional feel, isolating Pauley’s vocals with synths underneath, before the chorus comes surging in. Guitarists Phil Manansala and Alan Ashby work together in harmony, whilst drummer David Arteaga stays right with them. There’s more variation with this track, with more of a slow/fast verse/chorus structure, but the aggression is still present. With a 30 second outro, it rounds out the EP nicely.

Many fans were sceptical about how the band would work after vocalist Austin Carlile’s departure in 2016, but each release since then has been extremely strong, and Of Mice & Men show no signs of slowing down any time soon. They’ve established their name as a band, now they’re going on to establish their legacy, and I believe that 'Timeless' will be a big part of that.