“The New Face of Seattle Metalcore”
by Jesse James Smith
It’s always exciting to see a brand new band hit the ground running and really building a solid foundation. Oathbound from Seattle is that new band and they’ve released their 2nd single ever titled “All For You” and it is a banger! As a new band, The first couple releases are often establishing your name and figuring out what your sound is and what your identity is within your scene. But in Oathbound’s case, they are stamping their flag and proclaiming who they are and it is hard to ignore!
Their first single ‘Reflections’ was heavy on the melodic guitars, this song is a little more “nose to the grindstone” and heavy which was the perfect follow up. This track caught me by surprise because the tempo is a lot slower than what I thought it was going to be. While the riff is simplistic in nature (other than the lead tapping guitars which we’ll get into), the speed of it makes it sound a lot heavier and different than similar patterns in other songs. As the vocals kick in, the lower tone sits perfectly in the modern metal era that we’re in and is something you would hear in radio rock bands! The music reminds me of early christian metalcore (yes that was a big thing in 2009) while the vocals remind me of Bad Wolves or Sleep Theory. As you move into the chorus, that vibe keeps up, but the thing that stood out to me the most was the drums. A weird pattern that caught my attention almost immediately. I don’t know if it’s because I’m a drummer personally, but it was different with different accents which isn’t bad and in fact makes it more memorable.
The song as a whole is very melancholy and emotional. You can feel the vibe shift from the first song which is incredible. Showing diversity and musicianship, this band is already on the pulse of what direction the music industry is going. This song also is accompanied with a music video which I highly suggest checking out. I can already tell Oathbound will be a force in the growing Seattle scene. I am excited to see what they have for us next.