156/Silence – People Watching (Review)

This is the fifth album from US metallic hardcore band 156/Silence.

People Watching contains 47 minutes of 156/Silence’s brand of crushing metalcore. It’s a contemporary blend of hardcore and metal that’s not completely what I expected it to be.

156/Silence don’t sound like I imagined them too, at least not totally. People Watching has more depth of substance than many bands of this genre. Their style is darker, heavier, and more atmospheric than is typical, and it works well for them. The band’s metallic hardcore takes elements from sludge and post-hardcore, and is enriched with ambient and noise enhancements. This allows 156/Silence to use a decently wide array of tools when constructing their music.

The music’s heaviness is overall on the harsher side of the metallic hardcore spectrum, which I like a great deal. It’s darker, heavier, and more aggressive than the norm, but it achieves this without losing the ability to craft actual songs. Amidst the scathing heaviness and caustic screams there are also occasional sections of clean singing, but like the brutal heaviness, these are not always your normal metalcore fare either; mostly they soar high, but when they’re at their best they are haunting and full of emotive reach.

156/Silence’s passionate delivery shines through the lethal distortion on the album, and whether it’s a rich melody or a destructive breakdown, the band give it their all. People Watching combines old and new, reminding me of the 00s and bands like Botch, Deftones, Glassjaw, Norma Jean, and Poison the Well, but also of more modern acts like Alpha Wolf, Borders, and Frontierer.

For a demolishing hit of modern heaviness, but with added feeling and atmosphere, make sure you spend some time with People Watching.