EP REVIEW: Heads Above – Family of Patterns

‘…wickedly creative, deeply thrilling, and intensely cathartic. False Thoughts are dead; long live Heads Above…’

Having originally formed back in late 2023 under the banner of False Thoughts, it did not take long whatsoever for this outfit to establish themselves as an important and beloved part of Merseyside’s heavy music scene. A combination of ferocious live performances, an appreciation for their peers, and a bristling, old school metalcore sound that translated well into a studio setting ensured that the name of False Thoughts would be well known throughout grassroots venues in the region. Their debut EP, ‘You Speak To Me As Though I Wasn’t Living‘ offered a brilliant foundation for the band to build from, and last year’s singles with Nat Owens (Arcadia Ego, Ugly Jumper) and Izabel Lavin (rozemary, Demeanour) showed that the band certainly were building something special.

Changing a project’s name is a bold creative choice; it is to change how you are immediately presented, and to potentially divorce yourself from whatever you had artistically established before. Yet for False Thoughts, their name change felt like a band finally understanding who they are, and what vision they shared for their music; pulling from the lyrics of their debut single ‘TALL‘, the outfit have reimagined themselves as Heads Above, and immediately set about reaffirming their position within the heavy scene. With a headline show on May 9th to celebrate, the band have unleashed an incendiary sophomore EP in the form of ‘Family of Patterns‘.

The reinvention of this five-piece goes beyond a simple name change. Gathering up elements from hardcore, stoner rock, progressive rock and death metal, ‘Family of Patterns‘ is a dirty behemoth of an EP that roils with an unrepetent violence. Sludgy riffs and thick bass lines thrash about atop of remarkable percussion, whilst Mike Fenwick delivers one blistering, tortured vocal performance after another. The production and mastering give the whole affair a raw, unpolished feel in all of the best ways; Fenwick’s reckoning with cycles of abuse feels claustrophobic and unsettling to behold, acknowledging the role he has played in perpetuating this, and the visceral internal conflict that he has endured in seeking to break those cycles.

Immediately opening up with riffs that wouldn’t go amiss from a midwest emo record, ‘Reverie‘ makes it clear that this EP is intending to be an evolution in every way from the band’s debut. The track gives way to a swaggering mass of gritty riffs, buoyed by a distinctive funk in its rhythmic backbone; the lyrical callback to ‘TALL‘ is wickedly executed, and feels certain to ignite live performances. Lead single ‘I’ve Got Friends‘ is a bruising, swampy torrent of bludgeoning riffs, as Fenwick gives appreciation for his friends and community for having his back when the world surely does not. The momentum ebbs and flows in a brilliant demonstration of controlled power, coalescing as a rollicking hardcore punk climax that lands like a barrage of punches to the cranium.

‘Cowardice‘ glistens with a surprising degree of theatricality, as eerie keys illuminate an intense and brooding bridge segment, rhythms switching and changing in a dizzying and desolate display of musicianship. ‘Hold On’ brings spoken word and choral vocals into the fold to produce a genuinely visceral experience to behold, the track rattling on the verge of self-combustion. It’s a magnificently constructed performance that brings a degree of grandeur to Heads Above’s sound, without losing their signature gripping rawness. Even in the EP’s closing cut, the sonic surprises keep coming, with ‘Heritage’ featuring a killer funk breakdown in the midst of a metalcore hurricane; the talent and ingenuity of these musicians speaks for itself.

Whilst their debut indicated that the band were worthy of watching, and their 2025 collaborative singles made it clear that they had plenty of fury left in their tank, it is hard not to be startled by just how much of an improvement on their previous work that ‘Family of Patterns‘ is. This is the sound of a band that has shed their fears and inhibitions, and have gone into this project with the idea of simply writing the music they feel the need to write. The result is wickedly creative, deeply thrilling, and intensely cathartic. False Thoughts are dead; long live Heads Above.

RATING: 83/100

For Fans Of: Loathe, Knocked Loose, Bodyweb, God Complex, Title Fight

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