With expansive, melodic passages bridging some punchy choruses driven by chunky guitars, Dead Ground’s contemporary prog stylings, at their best, call to mind Oceansize, Amplifier, and ‘Six’ era Mansun. At their worst and most overblown, they invite comparisons to Muse. If ‘In My World’, with its expansive sounds, big chords, and intricate construction represents their best, there are numerous moments across the EP which very much represent their worst, with colossal bombast and self-indulgent over-emoting vocals marring some otherwise magnificent work.
The good news is that much of the material occupies the space between, and it’s a pretty good space. ‘Small Love’ is built around a stop/start grunge riff, over which Ollie Harris lays his soul bare, and ‘Blind’ carries hints of both Soundgarden and early Radiohead in its quiet / loud dynamic.
There’s a fair bit going on across the six tracks which make up ‘No Thoughts, No Tears’. There’s a 90s alternative rock hue which calls to mind lesser-known acts like 8 Storey Window, and Dead Ground know their way around a chorus as well as they do a post-rock inspired guitar segment.
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It’s promising, to say the least, and if they can rein in their more extravagant tendencies, the Exeter trio have the potential to be a taut and dynamic act with major cult appeal. They’ve got the songwriting, the musicianship, and the emotional depth, and they deserve it.
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