Fifteen years of their self-labeled “digital hardcore” later, Rabbit Junk are fusing industrial, metal, EBM, and urban music to achieve a one-of-a-kind sound. Their music will make you want to dance or bang your head (and in some cases, both at the same time), and the proof lies in their latest EP, Reveal. With three all-new tracks, all with instrumental versions to boot, Rabbit Junk takes three different approaches, each with their own flavors and nuances that result in a complete experience, even with the shorter total runtime of an EP.
First off is the thrashy “Born and Bled,” with vocals by Amelia Arsenic (ex-Angelspit). The double bass patterns are dizzying, the guitars crushing, and the familiar sound of Amelia’s voice powering this monster of a song along. This song will kick you in the teeth, drag you down a dark alley, then kick you in the teeth again just because it can. It’s a bass-heavy bruiser of a track, and it’s a great way to start things off.
The epic “Survivor” blends trap beats and down tuned guitars to create an anthem with a chorus that begs to be sung along to. It is a pump-up jam to end all, though the guitar solo did catch me by surprise. Maybe it is because I’m not used to hearing guitar solos in industrial music, but it felt out of place in the song, though given the anthems of yesteryear, it makes sense why the band would want to have an instrumental break.
“Reveal” ditches the guitars for synths and one hell of a catchy chorus. There’s no rule that says a catchy song can’t be good, and this song would be sure to fill up any underground dance hall it would be played it. There’s a trance-like feel to the track that allows one to get lost in it, while singer/producer JP Anderson’s vocals bring the song together. It doesn’t need the guitars of the previous two tracks to feel heavy, as the bass pulses and drives the track along.
For three original tracks totaling just over fourteen minutes, Reveal feels fully fleshed out and thought out. Each song feels different from the other two, and one doesn’t overshadow the others either. Reveal is a welcome addition to the Rabbit Junk catalog, following last year’s Rabbit Junk Will Die, and will help satiate any cravings between that and whatever the band delivers next.
