Gravebound - Phobia EP Review

Review by : Brittany Swigert

Last year, Gravebound (At the time Heard by Eyes) dropped their first single “Homewrecker” and set the stage for what promised to be a great contribution to the metalcore community. Following the single, they released the Outlines EP and I was hooked from day one. Their music is incredible and if you ever get the chance to go to one of their shows you will be able to see just how much love they have to share with their fans and fellow musicians in the community. They are always so appreciative of the support they receive, and you just don’t always see that from other groups that are gaining momentum. A year after it all started they have shown a lot of growth and a few big changes, including an updated sound and a new name. They recently took on the moniker Gravebound and gave the world “Phobia”. It was the first single released for their upcoming EP of the same name and if you haven’t had a chance to listen to it yet, don’t wait for this EP to come out to give it your attention. The track gives you an idea of what to expect for the awesome collection of songs that are about to be released in to the world. Following that “Disconnect” hit and it hit hard. For the first few days after adding it to my playlists it always caught my attention when it would play. The song stood out to me and I knew I needed to get my hands on the EP as soon as I could. You can imagine my excitement when we were able to get a copy for this review. It is quite clear that everyone in the band is committed to making something worthwhile. Jarod is showing he is not letting go of the sound his fans fell in love with, but that he has what it takes to go even further. The cleans on the EP are reminiscent of the old Heard by Eyes days, but there are alot more high-pitched vocals than I was used to from them. As someone who really enjoys the higher cleans, this was a major bonus for me. His screams are as hard as ever and honestly if that ever changes, I couldn’t be happier. James and Kyle showed their talents through every track, providing some pretty incredible guitar work that really brings the EP to life. They manage to have the perfect sound throughout each song while providing enough variety to keep things interesting. I have passed on so many songs because of guitarists finding a groove and stick to it throughout the entire song. It provides consistency, but it can also make things boring. These guys have not made that mistake. Instead they kept me engaged and wanting more. Lastly I just want to give credit to Johnnie. He is a talented musician and one of the best drummers I have heard in a long time. His performance on this EP may very well be one of the most powerful performances of the entire group. He elevates an already sick combination of talent to the next level. Lyrically, the Ep has a lot to say. If you follow the band or its members, you know they are a great group of guys and are always trying to help those people that they care for. Mental illness, depression and regret seem to run rampant in the words that ring out, but they also show that it doesn’t have to be that way. The songs give a feeling of fighting back against your personal demons and if you’re anything like me, using music to motivate me to fix my problems, this EP is definitely for you. It radiates hope and light in some truly dark times. Phobia releases July 26, 2019 and I can’t wait to see the fan reaction to this newest installment from these four talented men.