Don't let the title of the EP fool you, Lincolnshire metal quintet HEARTSTRUNG have merely scratched the surface with their new EP 'Wasted Potential'

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HEARTSTRUNG (L-R: Theo, Charlie, Ben, Sam, Luke)

You’ve got to love that feeling when a band you’ve followed, big or small, finally release something that will add their mark to the ever-growing map that is the music scene. This band have been hard at work making a name for themselves, gigging up and down the UK and sharing the stage with some impressive names such as Earthtone9 and Anti-Clone. The band that I’m talking about is Lincolnshire’s answer to the nu-metalcore genre Heartstrung, and the release we’ve finally been treated to is their debut EP ‘Worthless Potential’

Opening track ‘Gung Ho’ is aptly named, as it launches the fans straight into the energy that Heartstrung have made themselves known for. Fast, in your face and full-on force. The lads issue the perfect slap in the face to get you warmed up for what’s to come over this 5-track gem. There’s plenty of punch from all members – the duo guitars channelling heavy thrash, the bass thunders underneath with plenty of chunky tone and the drums are machine gun fast and precise to deliver a tight rhythm section. Top this with some energetic and growling vocal work with the splashing of cleaner singing, you’ve got the ideal recipe for an EP that blends a variety of genres into one package.

The EP title is one that’s ironic – there’s no wasted potential here. It highlights a band that are working hard to bring an interesting new take on the metal genre. As before, the 5 tracks takes elements of multiple genres (for me, the most notable are Hardcore, Metalcore, Shoegaze and even a splash of Punk) without it being too messy or without it sounding like the band are unsure of who they are.

That’s not to say this EP is perfection of course. There are some small areas for improvement – whilst I loved all 5 songs, a bit more variety wouldn’t have gone amiss across them. And the cleaner vocals needed that smallest of tweaks to really come through stronger. But this is also a positive – when compared to earlier singles released, the band are constantly evolving. Getting tighter as a unit, exploring more of their influences and constantly improving their own skills is something I’ve picked up on with each song.

For a first EP, Heartstrung have done well. With the risk of sounding like a broken record, I have to re-iterate the point made earlier in the review - Don’t let the title fool you, because there is absolutely no wasted potential here. We’ve merely seen the start of a band that are itching to show just how much more talent they have to give. The prospect of being a younger band means there’s plenty of time to grow, and as long as the band embrace this ideology with future music, then we can expect to see something even bigger and far more energetic within their range of anthems.