In 2016, it’s hard to do something new in rock music — but Salt Lake City’s The Departure is trying their damndest. Blending a heavy helping of pop-punk influence with elements of power metal, their seven-track EP Gateways has been opening doors for them since its November 2015 release.
First song “For the Best” fools listeners into thinking that this will be a pop punk album through and through, dripping with Sum 41, Blink 182, and Pop Punk 123. But the next track, “Incompetence,” opens with an intro riff that could be straight out of a Kamelot song before the music returns to a pop punk aesthetic.
More surprises come in “The Sea Part II” where the band delves into electronica and then gets super power-metally — and appropriately mentions the word “fire” a lot. Closer “Thoughts” alternates clean and growling vocals over pop punk riffs for a tortured effect.
Overall, this is probably music for the 25-and-under set. It’s a group of guys who are still finding themselves — with members ranging in age from 17 to 23, how could they not be? — but they are on a promising path. Old fogies who listen to Iron Maiden and Descendents will not like this — but fans of Cold War Kids and Oceans Ate Alaska should check out The Departure and let us know what you think!
For more from The Departure, find them on Facebook.
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This post was sponsored by Independent Music Promotions. All opinions are our own.
