EP REVIEW: Cut Short – Modern Affliction

‘…the bold creative choices that they have made across the span of ‘Modern Affliction’ are undoubtedly all of the correct ones…’

Cut Short have been hard at work carving out their position within the latest wave of metalcore since the release of their debut single all the way back in 2018. Recently, the Liverpool five-piece have performed alongside the likes of Dream State and WARGASM UK, and all of the signs indicate that their persistence is starting to pay off. Over the past twelve months, their intense work ethic has been accompanied by an evolution in sound, and their brand new EP may provide the breakthrough this band has worked so hard for.

With a much heavier focus on groove, ‘Modern Affliction’ sees the band pivoting away from traditional metalcore and more towards the fuzzy alternative rock and swaggering nu-metalcore stylings that one might expect from the likes of Thornhill, Ocean Grove or Issues; their aggression, however, is far from diluted. Towing the line between monstrously heavy and monstrously catchy, Cut Short snake their way through back-to-back bangers that grapple with the claustrophobia and desolation of modern life.

Opening number ‘Reverie’ explodes forth with absolutely nasty, distorted riffs and nu-metal record scratching, and continues to shift and writhe unsettlingly throughout. Cinematic choruses decorated with bold melodies and rapturous screams collapse into apocalyptic frenzies of heaviness, whilst rhythms oscillate between monstrous lurching and sparkling acrobatics. The following title track maintains the scorching momentum, with its snappy hand claps, roiling percussion, and genuinely infectious melodies.

The pop elements that Cut Short have been flirting with come to the forefront on the glittering ballad that is ‘Unrequited’. Building from minimalist ruminations over electronic drum beats, the track coalesces into huge, belted passages that bristle with intense emotion, and showcase a genuinely delightful vocal improvement from the band; this is the sound of a band throwing everything they have learned into a performance, and the result is magnificent. That pop flair continues on ‘The Worst of Myself’, but in a dark, snaking manner. Electronic backdrops simmer with venomous intent, distorted vocals bubbling at the surface, before the track charges towards a devastatingly brutal climax that shifts back into unrepentant, unrestrained nu-metalcore mode.

Cut Short have always been good at what they do; it would have been an easy and understandable choice for them to have doubled down on the atmospheric metalcore they build their identity upon. Yet the bold creative choices that they have made across the span of ‘Modern Affliction’ are undoubtedly all of the correct ones; these five tracks are the sound of a band demanding your attention, and rightfully so.

RATING: 81/100

For Fans Of: Thornhill, Bad Omens, Loathe, Ocean Grove, Void Of Vision

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