Dweller – White Rabbit (EP Review)

Posted on May 19, 2020 by walladmin

DWELLER – White Rabbit EP
Released: May 22^nd, 2020

DWELLER Line-up:

DWELLER online:

Melbourne’s Dweller drop their debut EP White Rabbit this week, harnessing a collection of songs thematically linked to concepts of the unknown, madness and insanity as perceptions of reality begin to crack.

The White Rabbit EP begins with ‘It Lives, It Breathes’, a brooding track that really vibes with some guttural growls and clean vocals from vocalist Ryan Mickan. There are moments throughout the release where Mickan’s vocals are eerily reminiscent of Marcus Bridge (Northlane) or even Oli Sykes (Bring Me The Horizon), particularly during some of the chorus breakdowns. Colour me impressed so far.

The instrumentals throughout the release sound intricately layered and performed with purpose. The fact that you can hear each band member’s dedication to their craft throughout the EP really says something about Dweller’s potential to be the next artist to breakthrough from Australia’s metalcore scene. It also goes without saying that the recording and mixing (by Beau McKee and Jeff Dunne respectively) is absolutely brilliant. There is some beautifully technical guitar work juxtaposed against the rhythm section of ‘Devil You Know’ which I thought was fantastic, but it’s ‘Vicious Cycles’ which is the real standout track from the EP. It’s fast, it’s mean, and it’s sure to be the band’s circle pit song during live shows.

When it comes to music, I’m going to be bluntly honest and say that I am usually pretty hard to impress, but I’m happy to report that the White Rabbit EP is an exciting debut from Melbourne’s Dweller, showcasing the band’s talents as both individual musicians and as a collective. When lockdown ends and music dominates Melbourne’s nightlife again, I look forward to catching Dweller at a show.