If I'm being honest, my relationship with OMAM has been on a on-off stage for a few years now, especially after I started growing out of some bands that I would listen to almost religiously for a period of my life. And although I still return to metalcore sounds often, I find that I do so in a kind of critical way and OMAM is one of the bands that I have kept up with quite closely over the years.
The "Timeless" EP consists of 3 tracks, two of which have already been released as singles. When I reviewed "EARTHANDSKY", I praised how the band was taking steps embracing the ch(allen)ges and natural progression of their sound by balancing their metal backbone with -core elements. The EP is the unarguable continuation and consequent evolution of that sound. It would be absurd however to assume that OMAM has renounced their (more) -core past. These songs are a strong link between the band's creative works over the years, showcasing commercial traits amplifying the heavy compositions' reach, and I feel touch more heavily on the metalcore side for a change. We also need to point out how mature their songwriting is, reflecting the deep knowledge and understanding they have for the scene that nurtured them, without resorting to genericore to become more relevant. Frankly, I'm not very surprised that in a way they seem to pay homage to that past -take "Obsolete", for example; the blasting verses could have been in a 2010 release but the choruses are full of the attributes we saw develop intrisically from 2014 onwards.
Overall, the EP is a very fine piece of music. I strongly believe Of Mice & Men are at their artistic prime, having gone through various types of experimentation in the last decade, and they seem to settle in a sound that fits them like a glove and where they can really walk the extra mile. The band will be releasing a new album later this year too and, if this is a taste for what's to come, the only thing I can say is "bring it on!".
10/10
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