A Continent Named Coma is one of my favorite up and coming bands from Phoenix who plays a nostalgic blend of 2000s emo and post-hardcore revival with plenty of modern elements to boot. EP REVIEW: I'm not sure if 2000s emo is making a comeback, but if it is, A Continent Named Coma is at the helm.I grew up in love with bands like Senses Fail, From First to Last, Silverstein, and all the other legends under the Victory Records catalog and I often miss that sound. I've been surprised that sounds like Nu-Metal and Rap Rock have been on the uptick, but we've seemed to have left behind our studded belts and wristbands. If we're going to bring back the nostalgia of accessible radio metal, how the fuck are we not bringing back the sound of 2000s emo?The opening to the first track of this 3-track EP immediately coats you both with the warmth of sadness and bitterness of winter. It was like catching the scent of a past lover in the air and not quite being able to place it, but as soon as the entire band kicks into gear you recognize the familiarity exactly.The production is absolutely perfect for what they're going for and the vocals throughout most of the release are on point at every turn. From the desperate screams to the angst ridden clean vocals that are immediately reminiscent of From the Depth of Dreams, I just want to carry this record around like a blankie.The second track on the record, "Show Your Face" has a bit more clean vocals throughout with screams sprinkled here and there for added emotional turmoil. The dirty lead guitar that pushes us through the song is toned perfectly to fit the soundtrack of angst and confusion and the drums couldn't be mixed any better for the style.The third and final track, "Lachrymose" begins a little shaky with an opening that I'm not crazy about in any direction. The vocal range isn't the singer's strong suite and it feels a little awkward over the instrumentation. He spends a lot of the track going back and forth between what seems to be a more natural tone and a seemingly affected vocal style that I'm not too crazy about. The song seems to be searching for it's direction and personality throughout most of the track; finding it's way here and there, then getting lost again. The screaming vocals that come in near the end are as crisp as ever and return some much needed color.While there are a lot of nostalgic bands out there trying to bring something old back into the consciousness, my gripe is that they never seem to be doing anything new. They seem to make their own style a smorgasbord of pre-packaged cliches, but ACNC doesn't do that. They pull me back into sounds I haven't heard in a long time while also carrying their own distinct personality and character.All in all, I am newly obsessed with this band. I have no idea who is involved or where in AZ they're from, but I'm fucking in.6/10
