Bound in Fear – Eternal (Review)

This is the latest EP from Bound in Fear, a deathcore band from the UK.

Eternal follows up 2019’s The Hand of Violence with a crushing 23 minutes of new material. Across five tracks the band once more demonstrate that they can ably produce songs that are mind-numbingly heavy, whilst also, almost paradoxically, being quite rich in emotion for this sort of thing.

Bound in Fear play downtempo deathcore, and they do it most effectively. The songs combine massive chugging guitars and huge breakdowns with eerie, menacing atmospheres. The juxtaposition of the two could potentially be jarring in less talented hands, but the band largely pull it off with aplomb.

Overall the music is a bit more upbeat than it was previously, and the band’s dynamics have become more energetic. This is all relatively speaking, of course, and the band still have plenty of fun with their sickeningly slow beatdowns. The vocalist’s fearsome voice has improved further too.

Eternal is a positive step forward for Bound in Fear, taking the strengths of the preceding record and expanding upon them. An increased sense of focus, a refined sensibility that finds the band’s work ever more detailed, and a furious passion for everything heavy and menacing, makes for a very enjoyable release. Eternal is a strong, brutally heavy EP from Bound in Fear, and bodes very well for the future. If the band’s labelmates Osiah and Distant do it for you, then don’t miss out on what Bound in Fear have to offer.