Prior to last year, Milwaukee, Wisconsin was a hub where most Midwest hardcore shows were held. If someone from out-of-state talked about MWHC, Milwaukee band Expire as well as venues like the Borg Ward were usually the most recognizable names in the area. With the aforementioned venue’s closing and Expire’s looming breakup, activity has spread to nearby states like Indiana and Illinois, but Milwaukee still remains a place with a super cool music scene. One of my favorite bands born out of this area is Wits End.
Their sound is a unique one. If I had to compare it to any other bands, I’d probably say they’re similar to Renounced, with an influence from older metallic hardcore bands like Disembodied. They often play mixed bill shows with deathcore and metalcore bands. I wouldn’t call them either of those genres entirely, and I think hardcore is the title that best suits them, but there is a minor influence there that results in some really sick, more technical riffs that are not usually seen in heavy hardcore lately. When you listen to Wits End, you can feel that a lot of effort went into creating a really well-planned end result. All the pieces that make up their music work together very well.
Wits End just released their debut EP in September 2016, so their popularity hasn’t quite reached its full potential yet, but in my opinion, they are vastly underrated. They’ve built a very diverse fanbase, playing shows with metalcore bands like Barrier, shows with well-known older hardcore bands like Darkest Hour and Ringworm, and shows with hardcore bands that play often around the area, like Backbone and Delinquents. In my opinion, I think they bring something to the table that could appeal to fans of all of these groups.
All in all, I highly recommend giving them a listen. They can appeal to fans of almost any kind of heavy music. Check out their EP, Last Rites, below.
-Angie
No comments
Post a Comment