Structures' little comeback EP back in 2021 was a short but potent punch of metalcore, and I actually enjoyed this EP a lot more than I thought I would've as I listened to it more. This was back when Nik Nocturnal dictated 99% of my metal discoveries, and his reaction to 6 kind of cemented this song as my favourite of the EP, although it is a banger song in its own right.
It comes in straight away with this ridiculous heavy groove, complete with bends and scrapes to let the listener know it's pissed. The verse is angry, rolling with a modified version of the intro riff underneath, chugs galore. The layered screams are great, and as it goes on, they add some dissonance and some cheeky licks, just in time for the first breakdown, which is a smack and a half. The chugs are nasty and the whammy stuff is just wicked, and when the breakdown ends it doesn't get any less relentless.
War drums leading up to the final breakdown, riffing getting more chaotic, and Brendan Murphy of Counterparts comes in. What a screamer. The lyrics are downright furious, the dual layer is monstrous, letting the instrumentals drop out for a bit is cheeky, that short blast beat is just rude, and the flatline soundbite is the cherry on top. That breakdown riff too, jeez, simple but effective. Always love a well placed pick scrape. I love how vicious the outro is too, with the ominous lead going on while the screams continue.
None of the Above is a great EP from 2021 but it's really 6's breakdown that makes this one song in particular so memorable. Just stellar sound design and a series of well-crafted moments that elevate the intensity of these three minutes, worth a headbang for sure.
Rating: 3.5/5