Formed in 2007 in Ontario, Counterparts are fronted and, in many ways, made by the no-frills, fierce and honest vocal power of Brendan ‘B’ Murphy.
His hardcore roars and mutterings of irritated spoken word make for a distinctive and very real album. The band’s Pure Noise label debut – produced by Will Putney (The Amity Affliction, Miss May I) – is melodic hardcore at its finest.
The playful, uplifting layers of fretwork and more straightforward punk-inspired drumming overlap perfectly, and track after track proves increasingly memorable with each listen. Sometimes relentless and brutal and other times delicate, their songwriting is pleasingly varied, too. Collapse is one of their richest, most layered tracks, Choke turns up the pace and flies the hardcore flag, and fantastic choice of first single, Burn, dials up the spoken word, instrumental builds and heavy breakdowns. This approachable, melodic fusion of calm and storm makes for a great third album.
