| Soul Structure | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 19 May 2017 | |||
| Studio | Holy Mountain and Mutiny Studios | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 30:16 | |||
| Label | Flatspot | |||
| Producer | Joel Grind | |||
| Higher Power chronology | ||||
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| Singles from 27 Miles Underwater | ||||
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Soul Structure is the debut studio album by British hardcore punk band Higher Power. The album was released on 17 May 2017 through Flatspot Records.
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Echoes and Dust | Positive [2] |
| Exclaim! | 9/10 [3] |
| Ghost Cult Magazine | 9.0/10 [4] |
| Punknews.org |   [5] |
| Rock Sound | 7/10 [6] |
| Sputnikmusic | 4/5 [7] |
Soul Structure was well received by contemporary music critics.
The album makes use melodic singing counterposed by hardcore punk instrumentals. [3] Many tracks incorporate vocal elements of alternative rock. [8] In particular, writer Kieran Mitchell described vocalist Jimmy Wizard's singing as comparable to those used by Jane’s Addiction and Shelter. [4] Similarly, Metal Hammer writer Luke Morton said that the album "channels the band’s influences of melodic hardcore but sounds like Perry Farrell is on vocals". [9] Revolver writer Dan Epstein said the album has a "dynamic thrash/crossover sound". [10] Karol Kamiński of Idioteq.com said the album "is about positive expression of aggression and a form of escapology. It is angry music – but lyrically they convey a lot about themselves as people. It’s about finding a positive outlet for their anger, whether it’s social issues or mental health, it’s adding a social consciousness and depth to what traditionally is quite a one-dimensional genre of music". [11]
Branan Ranjanathan of Exclaim! described the album as "Combining classic NYHC-isms with grooves and melodic vocals reminiscent of Life of Agony, the unit go to great lengths to establish themselves as different from run-of-the-mill hardcore bands — and succeed". [3] PunkNews.org described the album as possessing "all the groove of early nineties post-hardcore while also showcasing a musical style that is innovative in the often-derivative hardcore underground". [5] In an article for Echoes and Dust, the album was described as mixing "East Coast hardcore grooves (think NYHC meets that Boston style) with a looser and more riffy LA vibe a la Suicidal Tendencies and topping it off with a UK hardcore grit". [2] In an article for Rock Sound, writer David Mclaughlin described the album as "the UK’s answer to Turnstile". [6] Kieran Mitchell of Ghost Cult Magazine praised the album for "bridging the gap between pop-punk and Nineties New York Hardcore". [4]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Can't Relate" | 2:40 |
| 2. | "Looking Inward" | 3:22 |
| 3. | "Balance" | 2:55 |
| 4. | "Hole" | 2:16 |
| 5. | "Four Walls Black" | 2:24 |
| 6. | "Between Concrete and Sky" | 3:48 |
| 7. | "Burning" | 4:30 |
| 8. | "Embrace" | 1:36 |
| 9. | "Reflect" | 3:40 |
| 10. | "You Ain't Much" | 3:05 |
| Total length: | 30:16 | |
The following individuals were credited with the production, artwork, and recording of the album. [12]
Hardcore punk is a punk rock music genre and subculture that originated in the late 1970s. It is generally faster, harder, and more aggressive than other forms of punk rock. Its roots can be traced to earlier punk scenes in San Francisco and Southern California which arose as a reaction against the still predominant hippie cultural climate of the time. It was also inspired by Washington, D.C., and New York punk rock and early proto-punk. Hardcore punk generally disavows commercialism, the established music industry and "anything similar to the characteristics of mainstream rock" and often addresses social and political topics with "confrontational, politically charged lyrics".
A number of heavy metal genres have developed since the emergence of heavy metal during the late 1960s and early 1970s. At times, heavy metal genres may overlap or are difficult to distinguish, but they can be identified by a number of traits. They may differ in terms of instrumentation, tempo, song structure, vocal style, lyrics, guitar playing style, drumming style, and so on.
Metalcore is a fusion genre combining elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk, that originated in the late 1980s. Metalcore is noted for its use of breakdowns, which are slow, intense passages conducive to moshing, while other defining instrumentation includes heavy guitar riffs often utilizing percussive pedal tones and double bass drumming. Vocalists in the genre typically perform screaming, more popular bands often combine this with the use of standard singing, usually during the bridge or chorus of a song. However the death growl is also a popular technique within the genre.
Melodic hardcore is a broadly defined subgenre of hardcore punk with a strong emphasis on melody in its guitar work. It generally incorporates fast rhythms, melodic and often distorted guitar riffs, and vocal styles tending towards shouting and screaming. Nevertheless, the genre has been very diverse, with different bands showcasing very different styles. Many pioneering melodic hardcore bands, have proven influential across the spectrum of punk rock, as well as rock music more generally. The term melodic punk is often used to describe both melodic hardcore and skate punk bands.
Murphy's Law is an American hardcore punk band from New York City, formed in 1982. While vocalist Jimmy Gestapo remains the only founding member of the band, the line-up has consisted of numerous musicians who have performed with a diverse selection of musical acts across multiple genres, such as Skinnerbox, Danzig, The Bouncing Souls, Mucky Pup, Dog Eat Dog, Hanoi Rocks, Agnostic Front, Warzone, Cro-Mags, D Generation, New York Dolls, Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, The Slackers, Thursday, Skavoovie and the Epitones, and Glen Campbell.
Damien Zev Moyal is an American vocalist, lyricist, musician, songwriter and designer. Originally from Amstelveen, North Holland, Netherlands, he moved to the United States as a child and grew up in Miami, Florida, where he notably fronted such hardcore punk, metallic hardcore and melodic hardcore bands as Shai Hulud, As Friends Rust, Morning Again, Culture, Bird of Ill Omen and Bridgeburne R. Moyal has been based in Ann Arbor, Michigan since 2006 and is the founding member of the semi-eponymously named gothic rock/post-punk band Damien Done.
Damien Done is an American post-punk/gothic rock band from Ann Arbor, Michigan. Formed in Gainesville, Florida in 2002 as a semi-eponymously-named solo project by frontman Damien Moyal, the group has since been expanded to include other band members and co-songwriters. The current lineup features Moyal, Laura Jane Leonard and Tyler Kane.
Personal War is an EP by French hardcore punk band Birds in Row. It was released on 30 October 2015 through Deathwish, Inc., simultaneously with their split album Birds in Row / WAITC. The songs on both releases were recorded in 2014 with producer Amaury Sauvé.
Beatdown hardcore is a subgenre of hardcore punk with prominent elements of heavy metal. Beatdown hardcore features aggressive vocals, gang vocals, heavy guitar riffs and breakdowns and lyrics discussing unity, brotherhood, volatile interpersonal relationships and machismo. The genre has its origins in late 1980s New York hardcore bands such as Breakdown, Killing Time and Madball, and was pioneered in the mid-1990s by bands like Bulldoze, Terror Zone and Neglect. The definition of the genre has expanded over time to incorporate artists increasingly indebted to metal, notably Xibalba, Sunami and Knocked Loose.
Forever is the third studio album by the American hardcore punk band Code Orange and its first on a major label, Roadrunner Records, following a stint on the indie label Deathwish Inc. It was released on January 13, 2017.
Incendiary is an American hardcore punk band from Long Island, New York.
Nightmare Logic is the second studio album by American thrash metal band Power Trip. It was released on February 24, 2017 through Southern Lord Records and was met with critical acclaim. This marked the second collaboration with producer Arthur Rizk, having previously worked with Rizk on their debut album Manifest Decimation (2013). This is the last Power Trip studio album to feature vocalist Riley Gale before he died on August 24, 2020.
Higher Power are an English hardcore punk band formed in Leeds, West Yorkshire in 2014. They have released two full-length studio albums, one EP, one live album and one demo. Their second album, 27 Miles Underwater, was their major label debut through Roadrunner Records. In a 2020 poll by Revolver magazine, they were voted the most likely contemporary band to breakthrough into the mainstream. They are a part of the New Wave of British Hardcore.
The Flex are an English hardcore punk band from Leeds, West Yorkshire. In an article by NoEcho, they were cited as one of the progenitors of the New Wave of British Hardcore.
Violent Reaction were an English straight edge hardcore punk band. Originally a solo-project of Tom Pimlott in Liverpool, the band gained additional members after relocating to Leeds. In Straight Edge A Clear-Headed Hardcore Punk History, Mike Clark cited them as one of the most important modern straight edge bands. They were a part of the New Wave of British Hardcore.
Broken Teeth are an English hardcore punk band formed in Manchester in 2007. The band have released one studio album and four EPs.
Big Cheese is an English hardcore punk band from Leeds, West Yorkshire. They are a part of the New Wave of British Hardcore. In an article for Metal Hammer, Jimmy Wizard included their song "Rotter" in his "essential hardcore mixtape".
Malevolence are an English metalcore band formed in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, in 2010. They have released three studio albums and one EP and established their own record label called MLVLTD Music.
Zulu is an American hardcore punk band formed in Los Angeles in 2019. Beginning as a solo project by multi–instrumentalist and principal vocalist Anaiah Lei, the band grew to also include Dez Yusuf (guitar), Braxton Marcellous (guitar) and Satchel Brown (bass). Zulu has released two EPs in addition to their 2023 debut album A New Tomorrow. In a 2023 article, Metal Hammer described them as the year's "most vital hardcore band".
