Metalcore Oathbound’s New EP Release ‘Until It’s Gone’
Seattle based, metalcore act Oathbound has made their way onto the scene with their debut EP, “Until It’s Gone.” These tracks showcase a blend of intense instrumentation with emotionally charged vocals, creating a sound unique and recognizable to Oathbound alone.
The EP’s lead singles, Reflections, All For You, and Anxiety, set the tone for a rollercoaster of fervor that veers between melodic interludes and crushing breakdowns. The guitar work throughout the EP is great, with a really nice tone that provides a solid foundation.
At the forefront of Oathbound’s sound is vocalist Kalyan Lopez, whose performance across the EP demonstrates impressive range and versatility. Alternating between clean vocals and intense screams, he navigates the emotional landscape of each song with conviction. The more aggressive vocal sections may be an acquired taste for some listeners, but they undeniably add a raw, primal energy to the tracks.
One of the best elements of “Until It’s Gone” is its polished production. We got a chance to talk to Kaylan about that:
The production on this EP is impressively polished for a debut release. How did you approach the recording and mixing process, and were there any particular challenges or learning experiences you encountered along the way?
Thanks for the compliment! We worked really hard to make it the best we could. I engineered and mixed the recording using modern day production and recording techniques to achieve the polished sound that we have. All the guitars, bass and vocals were recorded in my studio in small chunks to get the best possible take for each part. For the drums, we took a different approach. We bought all our own mics and recorded in Taylor’s basement studio. The drums were recorded in 4-7 takes for each song. Those takes were then chopped up to find the best performances and ultimately combined to form one seamless track. Part of modern recording is quantizing every track to achieve a super tight sound. Post production plays a huge role too – elements like bass drops, snare bombs, swells and synth completes the package – Kalyan
Metalcore as a genre is evolving fast. How do you see Oathbound fitting into the current scene- are there any ways you’re trying to push the boundaries of the genre?
Good question! Haha. That’s tricky because it feels like there are some bands doing their own thing and then there are bands just trying to clone those bands. Personally, I’m very much a huge fan of movie soundtracks so when I write I always have in my mind how big and epic we can make a song. Layering in textural elements and sounds that emote a certain vibe that I’m going for. Above all, I write music that is fun to play for me and has a good groove. So far it’s translated into listeners enjoying it so it’s nice to be able to find a point where those things intersect. In terms of “where we see us fitting in going forward”, Ironically, we have been compared to bands from the MySpace era, and that seems to be making a real resurgence right now, so I guess our timing was right. Haha. I think taking that sound and giving it a fresh look and incorporating those elements I described above is where we go from here. We did a pretty good job of that with our EP, but we are really leaning into that idea and giving it a modern makeover for the full length that we are working on now. It will be everything our EP was but elevated to a higher level. We can’t wait to share that with everyone!
Oathbound doesn’t shy away from tackling personal and relatable themes in their lyrics. As the band’s PR bio suggests, the EP narrates “a series of poignant and relatable stories,” touching on topics like self-reflection, relationships, and mental health. This lyrical honesty, combined with the intensity of the music, creates moments of genuine emotional impact throughout the EP.
It will be exciting to see how they evolve and make their mark on the metal landscape.
