After roughly a decade together, Missouri rap metal group Discrepancies have fought hard to establish themselves in the scene. Lukewarm reviews have plagued previous releases with unfriendly comparisons to nu metal giants such as Limp Bizkit or Linkin Park, but on new EP Product of Entertainment the quintet are looking to finally break free of these criticisms and finally stand out on their own merit.
From the electronically driven opening moments of “Limitless”, it becomes obvious that Discrepancies are shaking off their more obvious influences and looking to add more modern elements to their sound. Rapper Antonio Metcalf is on fire with his delivery while guitarist/vocalist Addison Bracher has a real venom to his screams when the breakdown hits, as the band incorporates more metalcore influences to their sound. This is one of the tracks where Bracher has a more prominent role than Metcalf, but rapping take centre stage throughout the rest of the EP.
The highlight of the EP is the lead single “Hands Up”, though. This is the track where Metcalf really comes into his own with his rapping, and where Discrepancies well and truly nail down the sound that they should be pursuing from now on. While their influences are still clear, they’ve done enough to avoid sounding derivative of their predecessors and instead offer a modern take on the well trodden road of rap metal.
Lyrically, Antonio Metcalf is on a rampage on Product of Entertainment, with “Recovery” being a good example. Mental health can be a difficult subject to address in music but the intelligent songwriting here does a good job of avoiding common tropes which would make it feel contrived or cheesy. They also achieve this with “Systemic Suffering”, tackling racism and systemic injustices that continue to pervade society. The thought that goes into the lyrics are something to be admires, as they do their utmost to stay away from clichés while tackling important issues, ranging from personal problems to more wider reaching political ails.
However, there are still moments where Discrepancies still fall into common traps. Closing track “Testify”, while well executed, is still perhaps the most by-the-numbers track on the album, following a tried and tested formula with a modern alt-metal chorus that’s been heard a thousand times already. Product of Entertainment is a huge leap forward for the band as they seek to silence their critics, but there is always room for improvement and still places where they may stumble into their older habits. However, there’s more than enough here to make people sit up and take notice of what the band are doing and high hopes for their next full release.
Visit Discrepancies official website here.
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