Rightly celebrated as one of modern hardcore’s most unique and intensely emotional bands, Touché Amoré follow up 2011’s excellent Parting The Sea Between Brightness And Me with another stunning flesh-exposing, raw collection of the highest quality.
With previous albums being more built upon driving power and a whole lot of heart, this time out there’s an added dimension of melancholic, beautiful musical explosions on top of that steady foundation. A near-cinematic soundscape, managing to haul and wrench the heartstrings without ever leaning into the pretentious, can be found on the intricate Praise/Love and reaches a zenith on the incredible album stand-out, Non Fiction.
No matter how delicate the soundtrack, they’re often still stabbed with serial killer-like fervour by Jeremy Bolm’s harrowing and impassioned vocals. Bolm’s soul-bearing, borderline-unnerving delivery is unrelenting and the ability to come across as heartfelt and pure ahead of arty and contrived cannot be understated in today’s musical landscape.
In a world of try-hards and wannabes, Touché Amoré stand out like a chainsaw in a world full of bread knives. Is Survived By is another masterpiece from one of the best bands in hardcore.
