SERTRALINE – Clouded Minds & Silver Lines
The group don’t waste any motion as they kick off with the critically-acclaimed Inside Out, which brings forth the newly refined, immense-scaled sound that they established with their previous hit Relapse.
Every element is a winner here; Lizzie’s incredible multi-layered vocals, Mike and Tom’s sweet dual guitars, the hefty rhythm fused by Si and Hendo, an unforgettable chorus, and most importantly, captivating stinging lyrics that confronts fake people and rightfully calls them out on their bull.
They harken back to their debut EP with Mean To Me II, which is fittingly focused on past reflection. The whole song is coated with a rough sense of aggression and a tenor of anger hanging in the air, and that certainly shines through the performances here; Si being the stand out with his unbelievable double-pedal work behind the kit.
2205 feels even gritter and grimier than what precedes it and is in many respects the highlight of the lot. The hooks are infectious, Lizzie gives what is potentially her greatest performance ever with superb, unrelenting, heart-spilling vocals, Hendo’s basslines pack a shaking punch, and the guitar solo in the middle is pretty radical.
The intro to Screaming For Sleep takes its time building with this anticipation, eventually unleashing into this unyielding wave of hostility that stays persistent, contributing to this crazy, high-octane energy and at the end of it all culminating in the most fearsome of breakdowns.
From there, they fly immediately into their latest single Isolation, a rampant, no holds barred assault complete with that same dynamic intensity carried over from the previous track, blinding technical riffs and in-depth writing that leaves even more of a resounding impression than what was probably intended given the ongoing situation across the globe.
Earlier this year, I predicted that Sertraline’s latest offering would rank among the best to emerge in 2020, and I haven’t been left disappointed in the slightest. Clouded Minds & Silver Lines is a rare case of perfection, where no conspicuous flaws can be spotted.
The Midlands metal quintet – who have visibly bettered their abilities from day one – have went above and beyond to deliver an impeccable effort, with no songs falling short, all of them rating of an equally outstanding quality, combined together in one truly tight package to create something that is, to put it bluntly, bloody awesome.
Sertraline are not to be underestimated, they’ve proved time and again that they can hang with, or even surpass, the elite in the British rock scene, and they should be recognised as such.
SMALL MUSIC SCENE 