The last time I heard this Connecticut group, they were called On Paths Of Torment and impressed me with their debut EP, The Arsonist Plague. Now with 4/5 of the On Paths of Torment line up (on this release anyway, some changes appear to have been made since the release), a new vocalist, (Shallow Water Grave’s guitarist Marco Corsino) and a slightly different sound, The Perennial are here and equally impressive.

I called On Paths of Torment ‘melodic deathcore’, and stylistically The Perennial, with virtually the same line–up are not dissimilar with the exception of Corsino’s more straightforward hardcore bark. The six tracks contain the same sort of well produced, thrashing, busy, up-tempo metalcore with a well done melodic edge that isn’t as piecemeal or clichéd as most contemporary metalcore (closing instrumental “Moksha” not withstanding).

Still, overall there seems to be less of a death metal undercurrent and more of a Misery Signals-ish, layered, shimmering approach to some of the material (for example listen to “An Attraction To Excess”) that’s more intellectual and introspective, despite Corsino’s relatively standard hardcore tones. Guitarists Adam Sahlin and Dave Woltmann are very adept with their instruments with each song being relatively harsh yet intricate and hardly having standard structures, without verging or too techy or caustic or even too blatantly metalcore. The robust “Carnivore”, rangy “Epsilon” and blistering “The Discordant Cachet” show a group of confident, skilled young men who have the musical chops and songwriting ability to be far more than average if given a chance-assuming they can regain the chemistry if this line-up with whatever new drummer and bassist they get.

In all, The Perennial is as good as if not better than some of the tripe being released by labels nowadays, even the bigger ones like Century Media. So check ‘em out and support a fine unsigned band.