Photo by Nick Libraro
For Connecticut post-hardcore unit En Masse, the arrival of their Fever LTD EP, newviolenttrends, is a triumph in of itself. Though the band was first conceived back in 2018, the current iteration and the core creative three of Zack Santiago on vocals, Jari Javier on guitar and Peter Parkes on bass really came together on the 2023 cycle for Burdened Youth.
The album justified the band's stock as buzzy prospects and would lead to a growing slate of higher profile shows. Translating the passionate performance packaged on Burdened Youth, En Masse found their base broadening and their creative synergy galvanizing. Retaining the experiences earned from the album, 2024 saw the band implement those lessoned learned in what would be their first outing via Fever LTD and their newviolenttrends EP.
Nourished and influenced by gamechangers in Deftones, Glassjaw, Poison the Well, En Masse offer an articulate approach to heft in the most current configuration, Zack Santiago leads the charge with a dynamic vocal range, backed by the wide swath of Jari Javier's riffs. More importantly, the EP heralds the band's well-earned self discovery. Enduring line-up changes and the growing pains that often derail a project, En Masse are not only moving forward, but are doing show in stride on newviolenttrends.
Offering a glimpse of the band's potential, "celine" frames a convincing performance and showcases a straight-forward approach to songwriting that feels familiar without being repurposed. With some insight to the significance of the single, Zack Santiago explains how the track is an important foot forward both in concept and execution.
“'celine' is all of us as a unit firing on all cylinders and exhibiting everything that makes up the band while pairing its auditory intensity with the subject of being exposed to the daily atrocities we witness in real time.”
Reiterating a similar sentiment, Santiago previously shared of the EP as a whole, “If there’s anything I’d want someone to feel while listening to this EP, it’s a sense of urgency. Ultimately, it’s about finding balance within yourself and embracing the autonomy you have in a seemingly hostile world.”
newviolenttrends, the new EP from EN Masse lands June 20th via Fever LTD. Order the EP - HERE
