By Jane Howkins.

   In Sickness and Health is an interesting E.P. Often when a band is described as being ‘hardcore’, that usually means that they belong somewhere in the metalcore genre, which is completely different to hardcore – despite sounding quite similar in terms of namesake. Hardcore originally referred to a very fast form of punk that originated in the United States, with metalcore being the better known modern variant that features slower, more metallic riffs, alongside screaming and singing. The two are easily confused, with most bands now described as being ‘hardcore’ falling into the latter camp, and because of this it’s a label we often find ourselves sceptical of.

Acres actually straddle both genres in a sense, and whilst they learn more towards metalcore and post-hardcore, there are elements of classic hardcore in there too. The first track on the E.P. is called  Overseer and particularly stands out for this reason, with a faster riff style and more hardcore vocals. It gave us a bit of hope for the rest of the E.P., with the expectation that the other songs would also be this way. That’s not the case, with the other tracks reverting to the metalcore sound that we originally expected to hear.

This is a little disappointing, however the rest of ISAP is still fairly good, and metalcore/post-hardcore fans will probably enjoy it. The rest of the tracks are typical fare for this type of music, with a few tempo changes mixing things up a little. The vocals also range, with frontman Ben Lumber screaming one minute and singing the next. It is a little generic and in the future we would prefer to hear something closer to the hardcore sound shown on the first track, but there is some promise here – so long as Acres aren’t afraid to mix things up a little and go their own way next time around.