Great Reversals - To the Ends of the Earth Review

Great Reversals - To the Ends of the Earth

Rating

RIYL

Trial
Bane
Verse
Shipwreck A.D.

Release Date

04/21/2012

Label

Self Released

Tracklist

1. Open Wounds
2. No Compass
3. Carrying the Fire
4. In Hiding

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leightonsmith	buck09
Sonnambulanaut

Every prospective parent fears that their newborn child will come into this world with a life-altering disability. For Great Reversals’ drummer, this is a reality that he has had to face in his own family for the past eight years with a deaf and autistic son. It’s a subject the band is very outspoken about, and in fact, the lyrics for all the songs on To the Ends of the Earth were written by their drummer about his son. Although it’s a sad subject, it’s refreshing to see a release in the hardcore genre with depth and emotion of this magnitude.

The lyrics and theme of To the Ends of the Earth are only half the story, though. Accompanying the heartfelt lyrics are four furious and aggressive songs with touches of melody sprinkled in at opportune times. It’s a tried and true formula, so you’re not going to hear anything groundbreaking here, but Great Reversals does it well enough to overlook wearing their influences on their sleeves. The best example of this is on “Carrying the Fire,” and although it’s the shortest track on the EP, it’s also the most engaging. The song has a slow, steady build that becomes more frenzied as it progresses, as the singer shouts, “I want to thrive, not just survive,” for its duration. It’s a powerful message that sticks with you and a fitting summation of the release’s theme.

This 10” EP provides a rare glimpse inside the mind of a struggling parent, his frustrations and his hopes, showing a man trying to come to terms with his son’s disabilities. While each track on To the Ends of the Earth can stand on its own as a respectable hardcore song, it’s the lyrics that bring them to life. Great Reversals isn’t treading any new ground with their brand of hardcore, but it’s competently executed, leaving the listener with little to gripe about.

--Nicholas Fritz