TAKEN - With Regard To 12"EP (Colour Vinyl)

Label: Other People

Formed in the late '90s in Southern California, Taken is a melodic hardcore band that is fronted by none other than Ray Harkins from the excellent 100 Words or Less: The Podcast. Well, Taken have a new EP called With Regard To and the first cut released from it, "Regret," is superb. “This song and entire EP are about my mental journey with my wife’s diagnosis of cancer," says Ray about the track.

Back with plenty to say, Taken reignite their fire through the various beatdowns that encompass With Regard To. Their combusting sound is led by piercing vocals, groove induced rhythmic patterns are furious, cracking the earth with a seismic emotional pull. The melodic leads keep the song’s beaming with a sense of harmony, twisting through the visceral vocals and gliding beyond.

'With Regard To' is an EP steeped in the threat of death, the horror of change, and a very real uncertainty of loss; one that's spliced with love and hope for a happier future free from the anxiety and pain of the now. Definitely for fans of Shai Hulud, Hopesfall, This Day Forward, etc.