Change is the next track, following the progression of the intro effortlessly, and then instantly breaking in your ear holes with an explosion of blistering metal riffs and double bass drum attacks. The vocals are also introduced here, and sit in amongst the rest of the band perfectly, there is a real feeling of emotion in vocalist Lewis Millets’ shouted vocals, almost pulling off more of a punk-delivery in the way he forces his words into the song.

Following is Sam, another barrage of technical metal riffs and insane drumming with a catchy melodic twist. It follows pretty much the same pattern as the last track Change but with a much more melodic approach, and a spot of guest vocals delivered by Roaches vocalist Jamie ‘Sen Mill. With a teeth-grinding breakdown added in for good measure, Sam is a track to look forward to hearing live, and carries the sound of the EP nicely.

Next track Distance is another mixture of the same ingredients; hard vocals, metal riffs, and not to mention a mind numbing guitar break around three-quarters of the way through the song, which progresses into a short but sweet riff that any Slayer fan would be proud of. Although it’s admittedly the least memorable song on this self-titled EP, Distance still delivers a great progression and push, to carry on through to the last couple of tracks on the record.

Old Places, for me, is one of the most standout tracks on the EP. Powerful melodies and instrumentals fly around each other to an almost orchestral degree while faded shouts force their way out of the niceness, delivering a desperate message with an almost gang-vocal like progression. Marching snare hits and strings also make themselves clear midway through the track, all of this together gives the Capitals lads a real edge and I think Old Places sit’s perfectly amidst the chaos of the other, more brutal, sounds of this EP.

Flowing nicely into the last track of the release, Hometown, the five-piece finish their debut effort on a momentous high, a final assault of anger and melodic integrity. Pulling together every aspect of the EP’s previous tracks, and using them to deliver a blow-your-face-off four-minute listening experience. The melodic touches scattered around the track are really effective in amidst the heaviness and it follows on from the brooding progression of Old Places brilliantly.

All in all, for a debut EP, I think these guys have created a really outstanding release and should really look forward to how they can progress with it, and also apply this to creating a live show that meets the expectations and brutal honest sound of their recordings.
Capitals are a band that I expect we will be hearing a lot more of in the near future, and hopefully they will gain the recognition they deserve around the hardcore scene, when their sound is being scattered around the various basements and stages of Leeds.

Capitals Debut EP can be downloaded from http://capitalsuk.bandcamp.com/

Dan Arthur

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