Album Review: Counterparts – A Eulogy For Those Still Here (Pure Noise Records)

Ontario-based metalcore heavyweights, Counterparts, are gearing up for the release of their upcoming full-length, A Eulogy for Those Still Here, due out October 7th from Pure Noise Records.

Exuding passion and honesty, Counterparts have built up a loyal fanbase by being relatable and believable. All while producing music that can bring tears to the eyes while causing carnage in the pits. They’re one of the giants of the metalcore scene, having been around since 2007, and with A Eulogy for Those Still Here, they go one step further in cementing their legacy.

An album filled with captivating melodies, wild and heavy core instrumentation, abrasive tone shifts, scathing vocals and so much more. It’s impossible to not feel something here, even if you’re not always sure quite what that is. The important thing is that it has this effect. It’s a visceral listen and while that might feel par for the course for Counterparts, there’s something deeper here. A Eulogy for Those Still Here feels like an ending, even though it’s not, it’s just the mindset Counterparts chose to have when working on it.

That gives the album more weight. Like everything they’ve done, this might be the most important thing they ever do, musically. Once again, it builds and strengthens the bond between the band and their listeners. It’s almost a symbiotic relationship.

Expressing themselves in the most intense ways, A Eulogy for Those Still Here features eleven tracks of real-life pain and suffering but it’s not a downbeat record. That’s not quite how Counterparts work, instead choosing to be brutally honest and show how those lows can be turned into highs. Even if it takes an incredible amount of work and doesn’t always feel possible. All of this, this myriad of feelings, comes pouring out on A Eulogy for Those Still Here. It’s so impactful and such necessary listening.

There’s no ignoring that aspect of A Eulogy for Those Still Here. Near impossible to hear the music in a heavy bubble as heart and soul is such an inherent part of who Counterparts are. Though, if you’re after abrasive metalcore music, with hardcore-esqe intensity and moving melodic tones, it’s an album that more than delivers. In fact, it might be the best metalcore album of 2022.

Counterparts – A Eulogy for Those Still Here Full Track Listing:

1. 07/26/2020
2. Whispers of Your Death
3. Bound to The Burn
4. Unwavering Vow
5. A Eulogy for Those Still Here
6. Skin Beneath a Scar
7. Sworn to Silence
8. What Mirrors Might Reflect
9. Soil II
10. Flesh to Fill Your Wounds
11. A Mass Grave of Saints

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