Epoch (The Brave album)

Epoch is the debut studio album by Australian metalcore band The Brave, released on 5 August 2016 by UNFD. It was produced, engineered, and mixed by Sonny Truelove at his recording studio, STL Studios in Sydney.

Epoch
Studio album by
The Brave
Released5 August 2016
Recorded2016
StudioSTL Studios, Sydney, NSW
GenreMetalcore, hardcore
Length33:39
Label
ProducerSonny Truelove
The Brave chronology
Epoch
(2016)		 Aura
(2019)
Singles from Epoch
  1. "Searchlight"
    Released: 28 March 2016
  2. "Escape"
    Released: 12 May 2016
  3. "Break Free"
    Released: 9 June 2016

Background and promotion

An "epoch" is a notable period in history or in someone's life. Being their debut studio album, The Brave chose that as its title. Frontman Nathan Toussaint explained "...for us that is exactly what this album is. It's a significant thing that has taken us from just being a local band having a bit of fun to a signed band with an album we are truly proud of."[1]

The album artwork was done by Pat Fox, including the album insert booklet art. Additional photography was done by guitarist Kurt Thomson.[2]

Their first single since signing on with UNFD, "Searchlight" was released on 28 March 2016 via a mystery email blast. The band then went on tour to promote the new single on 22, 28, and 30 April. They performed in Brisbane, Melbourne, and Sydney. All shows were restricted for over-18s only.[3] Their second single of the album, "Escape", was released on 12 May.[4] Their third single "Break Free" was released on 9 June. The album was announced by the band on 1 July.[5]

On 7 July, a music video was released for the single "Searchlights".[6] On 22 July, a music video was released for the track "Dreamless" featuring Northlane vocalist Marcus Bridge.[7]

Writing and composition

All songs were co-written by vocalist Nathan Toussaint and producer Sonny Truelove, except "1945" which was written only by Truelove. The track "Ignited Youth" contains themes concerning the human cost of global conflict.[8] The track "Searchlights" was written in tribute to Toussaint's cousin who passed away in 2007.[1] The track "1945" is about the second World War.[9] The genre of the album has been described as hardcore,[10] and metalcore.[1]

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
KillYourStereo60/100[9]
Louder Sound[11]
Mosh[12]
Rock Sound7/10[13]
SputnikMusic[14]

The album received mixed to favourable reviews. Mosh, in a mid-rating review, said: "As is typical of any artist’s first release, The Brave’s sound still needs some refining, but the guys have to be applauded for their bravery."[12] Rating the album 7/10, Jennifer Geddes from Rock Sound said: "The Brave’s debut album is a heady cocktail of melodic anthems and full-blooded mosh pit starters." however she noted that "It's a shame that level of intensity isn’t present across the whole album..."[13] Louder Sound rated the album positively, calling it "a surprisingly strong collection, deilvered with heart and passion."[11] Chris Giacca of Kill Your Stereo criticised the band for sounding too similar to Bring Me the Horizon and Northlane. He praised Toussaint's vocal screams, however he noted that the vocalist's pushed chest voice was his weak point and should work on improving it.[9] Chris from SputnikMusic also compared it to Bring Me the Horizon, in particular their 2013 album Sempiternal. He also called many of their songs "cookie cutter metalcore songs", the tracks "Break Free", "Eclipse" and "Escape" especially, for sounding like generic metalcore songs. He did however praise the tracks "1945", "Epoch", and "Slipping Away" being the highlights of the album.[14]

Tim Lambert from Stack called the album: "A resonating display of power and passion."[10]

Track listing

Track listing adapted from Spotify.[15]

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Searchlights"Nathan Toussaint, Sonny Truelove4:03
2."Break Free"Toussaint, Truelove3:16
3."Eclipse"Toussaint, Truelove3:22
4."Dreamless" (featuring Marcus Bridge)Toussaint, Truelove3:38
5."Ignited Youth"Toussaint, Truelove2:49
6."1945"Truelove3:08
7."Escape"Toussaint, Truelove3:07
8."Undone"Toussaint, Truelove2:28
9."Epoch"Toussaint, Truelove1:19
10."Legacy"Toussaint, Truelove2:59
11."Slipping Away"Toussaint, Truelove3:30
Total length:33:39

Personnel
The Brave
Additional musicians
  • Marcus Bridge – guest vocals on track 4
Production
gollark: Magic.
gollark: I have some example setups (with an extra chest because they're used as mail) in my base.
gollark: You need to connect it *both* via a CC modem and OC adapter+relay.
gollark: It's probably user error.
gollark: It works fine.

References
  1. H., Tyler (31 July 2016). "Album Review: The Brave – Epoch". Sound Fiction. Retrieved 10 February 2019.
  2. "The Brave – Epoch". Pat Fox. Retrieved 10 February 2019.
  3. "An Idiot's Guide to the Brave". UNFD Central. 4 April 2016. Retrieved 7 February 2019.
  4. UNFD (12 May 2016). "The Brave – Escape". Retrieved 10 February 2019 – via YouTube.
  5. "The Brave Set To Release Courageous Debut Album 'Epoch'". AAA Backstage. 1 July 2016. Retrieved 10 February 2019.
  6. riserecords (7 July 2016). "The Brave - Searchlights (Official Music Video)". Retrieved 20 July 2019 – via YouTube.
  7. UNFD (22 July 2016). "The Brave - Dreamless ft. Marcus Bridge of Northlane [Official Music Video]". Retrieved 20 July 2019.
  8. "The Brave Announce Debut Album Epoch". UNFD Central. 1 July 2016. Retrieved 10 February 2019.
  9. Giacca, Chris (15 August 2016). "The Brave – Epoch". KillYourStereo. Retrieved 10 February 2019.
  10. Lambert, Tim (29 July 2016). "Review: The Brave, 'Epoch'". Stack. JB Hi-Fi. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
  11. Leivers, Dannii (11 August 2016). "The Brave – Epoch album review". Louder Sound. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
  12. Ridler, Faith (27 July 2016). "The Brave – Epoch | Album Review". Mosh. HTF Network. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
  13. Geddes, Jennifer (4 August 2016). "The Brave - 'Epoch' Review". Rock Sound. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
  14. chris. (21 August 2016). "The Brave – Epoch (album review)". SputnikMusic. Retrieved 10 February 2019.
  15. "Epoch by The Brave on Spotify". Spotify. 5 August 2016. Retrieved 10 February 2019.
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