Joshua Travis – No Rest (EP)
Release Date: 18th March 2022
Label: Sharptone Records
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Genre: Metal, Metalcore, Djent, Tech Metal, Deathcore, Tech Death.
FFO: Joshua Travis’s other works (Monuments, The Tony Danza Tap Dance Extravaganza, Glass Cloud, Emmure).
Review By: Mike Leighton
Joshua Travis, definitely a jack of all trades, especially given his musical escapades and movement between metal sub-genres. From playing in bands like Glass Cloud, The Tony Danza Tap Dance Extravaganza, Monuments as well as his long tour with deathcore veterans Emmure; it is clear that there is no lack of versatility and musicianship when it comes to Travis. With his upcoming EP, appropriately titled No Rest, we get a good, in depth look at what kind of music Travis is capable of crafting of on his own, and let me tell you, he does not disappoint. This EP is bound to please fans of all genres, especially those familiar with Travis’s other works. No Rest is set to release on 18 March of this year through Sharptone Records, who have a plethora of heavy hitting artists signed to them, ranging from Currents to Miss May I. Along with that they have had no shortage when it comes to quality releases over the past few years, which definitely made the pandemic a bit more bearable.
Web Of Lies is a fast, heavy hitter full of guitars, and in your face vocals (both high and low). This track contains just the right amount of variation that helps keep it from being too repetitive. The first single released and not a bad one to start off with either. Further into the track, Travis showcases an amazing guitar solo littered with various techniques (including sweep picking) as well as his brutal speed as it pertains to his fingering and picking styles. At moments, Web Of Lies felt much more than your standard Emmure song, which was quite a refreshing treat. Next up, Leviathan, was a standout track for me. I really enjoyed the choir element presented in the middle; it was hypnotic to listen to and also quite haunting; almost felt like a wave of monks wandering the halls of a quiet yet expansive cathedral. The wind chimes heard at the end gave a nice, airy effect; almost relieving the listener for a moment and opening up some room to breath before the audio assault continues with the next track.
Right off the bat, Disdain dropped some tasteful bass lines on top of some well-placed drum rolls. The speed of the guitars at around two minutes caught me off guard, but fit very well with the overall speed and flow of the song. Not only that, but the composition pulled me right back in! I’d place this track more at the back end of things, as it felt more or less in the same vein as the first couple tracks, with not much else separating itself. Parallel was next, and the intro guitar riff coupled with the drum fills was a warm welcome to this heavy hitter of a track. Cizek’s deep gutturals were more prevalent on this track than the rest of the EP, and really helped to highlight it amongst its predecessors. The break in the middle was a very pleasant shift in the flow of the track; with the heavy vocals juxtaposed with a sombre, beautiful woman’s vocals in the background. The guitar playing on this track were a cut above the rest, not saying they were lacking on other tracks, they just stood out more for me on Parallel. So far, my favourite track off this EP because not only did it have the best vocals, but it had the most creative guitar riffs. All Out War contained a barrage of sounds that are sure to open a few pits if incorporated into a live show!
I really loved the deep vocal parts when they came in. They were just evil sounding and made me want to mosh even more. Along that line, the vocals gave me strong Brian “Head” Welch, of Korn and Love and Death, vibes which I love. It’s very hard to find quality screamers who can pull off both the high notes, mid-range, and quality lows, and Andy Cizek (Monuments, Makari, and Wvnder) does this flawlessly. No Rest, funnily enough, had no shortage of head banging material, and really opened the door for more solo material from Joshua Travis in the future. Definitely check this out, even if Emmure may not be your cup of tea!
(3.5 / 5)
