This is the debut album from UK hardcore band Still in Love.
Containing 23 minutes of metallic hardcore heaviness, Recovery Language is a wrecking ball of a record, although it hits a little different than you may be expecting.
Still in Love mix elements of metal, hardcore, crust, punk, powerviolence, and post-hardcore into music that is has a firm impact. Recovery Language fuses its influences together into something heavy, yet reflective. There are punishing riffs and brutal beats, yet also a good deal of melody and a clear emotive heart.
It is these latter aspects of Still in Love’s sound that help push them beyond the average. The band could so easily have focused on heaviness and brutality alone, but instead have used these merely as a foundation to build something far more expressive and engaging upon. The songs use melody and emotion as integral parts of the music. In focusing on incorporating post-hardcore depth and passionate dynamics into their music, Still in Love have managed to write songs that punch above their weight.
Most of the songs on Recovery Language are on the shorter side, as befits the style. However, the band’s focus on emotion and melody gives them a presence that makes them feel more substantial than they could have been. This is only a brief record, but the amount of absorbing content and compelling feeling that have been forced into the tight running time is more than many other bands achieve with an album twice the length.
Recovery Language boasts a rare combination of hardcore aggression and melody-driven emotion that doesn’t compromise on either. Still in Love have crafted an enjoyable and satisfying album that offers more than the style typically does.
Very highly recommended.
Wonderbox Metal 