Unglued Reviews

Miles Away hail from Perth, Australia, but their style of hardcore is definitely influenced by the US scenes of Boston and the Pacific Northwest, without being derivative or unoriginal (at least, not moreso than any other hardcore band since Minor Threat). That said, neither do they offer anything revolutionarily new, but innovation isn’t what most hardcore fans come looking for. More important are qualities like energy, intensity, and solid songs, and Miles Away deliver in all those areas.

Although the tracks do tend to follow the same formula – racing guitars, pummelling drums, throatily shouted vocals – there is enough light and shade to maintain interest. Melodic touches infiltrate numbers such as Cranford Ave and the hectic Brainwashed, and there are frequent tempo changes, switching up the likes of Rising Sun just as they begin to sound repetitive. Excursion (Piss Stops And Passports) also trades off the angst of tracks like Wake Up with optimistic lyrics based on the band’s experiences touring the US and Japan, as well as their home country.

Most of the tracks clock in at around two minutes, with none over three. The longest songs are the final trio: Safe As Houses uses the length to explore a more complex song dynamic, even ending with an acoustic outro, Affadavit is another example of aggressively melodic hardcore, and the closing title track is a restrained acoustic instrumental that shows a different side to the band.

Australian fans of bands like Champion and Sinking Ships would do well to investigate Miles Away and consider spending their cash closer to home.

Owen Heitmann