Deeper Waters: Drowning in Excellence| Posted August 08, 2023 What You Need To Know
Cliffside, an independent metalcore band from Vancouver, Canada, released their debut WildernessEP in 2019 to positive critical reception. After writing during the pandemic and refining their sound, Cliffside released their first full-length record, Deeper Waters.
What It Sounds Like
In their first release, Cliffside has demonstrated incredible mastery over progressive metalcore and now Deeper Waters. Undeniably, they have made improvements in every aspect since the Wilderness EP. The result is a metalcore record full of intense breakdowns, commanding vocals, and tasteful riffs around every corner. Some of the current metalcore giants, such as Erra and Polaris, heavily influence the sound. Whether the influence is positive or generic, I love their mature take on the modern metalcore sound.
Spiritual Highlights
The band writes about various subjects, such as fatherless upbringing, substance addiction, and apathy. But the best part about listening to Deeper Waters is that you can hear the compassionate voice of faith and hope despite life's spiritual and physical struggles.
The title, Deeper Waters, has a double meaning. It can refer to the times we get pulled into the deeper mess of life's burdens and troubles, but it also offers the encouragement of grace. Grace can also be a deeper water that we dive into when we are hurt. The deeper we go, the more uncomfortable we can be, even if it's exactly what we need. Every song builds on these concepts, resulting in a mature, relatable, and encouraging record with hope and faith throughout.
Best Song
The whole record is a homerun with no filler songs. Most songs follow a formula similar to modern metalcore, with a catchy, bouncy chorus, lots of guitar riffage between verses, and heavy breakdowns. One of my favorites is "Greyscale," a prime example of their musical ex. Lead guitarist Joel Issler proves to be one of the best guitarists in the modern metal scene, with his chops on display here. The drums command your attention, while lead vocalist Taylor Thomas' vocals are undeniably as powerful and developed as many vocalists who've been doing this for years. The message of falling into apathy but pushing on for recovery is very relatable, too.
Deeper Waters is the ultimate expression of what a debut record should be - full of creativity, musical excellence, and expressive, mature songwriting. I know bands who have been making metal for 20 years who don't create music this great. Cliffside does a great job of writing about several relatable themes but keeping a coherent message of hope despite addiction, loneliness, and abandonment.
The only complaint I have is that there are some cliché lines of lyrics, and sonically, it would blend into a similar band's sounds if you weren't paying attention due to the apparent inspirations. But if four years is what it takes to get another record of this magnitude, I'm more than willing to wait. But let's hope there's less of a wait next time for new music from Cliffside.
to add lyrics if not listed.
