Day of Peace Shows the Power of Coachella Valley Hardcore on “Way Down”
Coming out of the Coachella Valley, Day of Peace makes an explosive debut with their EP release “Way Down”. This EP consists of five tracks and although this EP is only 10 minutes long, it makes a powerful impression in that amount of time.
The EP opens with “Chokehold,” and I immediately picked up on some similarities to Mizery. Sean’s vocal delivery, paired with the echoing effect that carries throughout the EP, gave me that same feeling, while still maintaining a sound that feels distinctly their own. The track is infectious, driven by a strong two-step rhythm, and you can hear just how much heart and energy Sean poured into the project. About halfway through, the song takes a heavier turn, breaking into a crushing beatdown section that instantly reminded me of “Keep It Moving” by Turnstile.
While “Forecast,” the secondary track off the record, still has a two step beat, the guitar riffs are slowed down allowing a heavier tone and rhythmic bass patterns to stick out – making its presence known to the listener the song sounds like an inside out track. When I spoke with Sean about the influences he stated “Honestly there was a bunch but off the top of my head.. inside out, leeway, trapped under ice, carry on, turnstile, chain of strength…honestly a bunch more I was just kinda pooling a bunch of stuff that had the vibe I wanted.”
The third track, “Me First,” has that classic straight edge beat, never lacking a good two step breakdown. “Me First” is my favorite song lyrically because it’s talking about how if you want to move forward even with the help of others advice, you need to make the first move. The ending perfectly describes that by stating “If they could even understand, still wouldn't break the curse, It's gotta start with me first”
The fourth track on the EP is “Reflection.” It’s a very heavy song that will make the two-step and beatdown kids happy. The guitar riffs are simply heavy, and at certain points, they have this gritty sound that scratches my brain in the best way -- making it smooth and oddly relaxing. “Reflection” is definitely one of the more underrated tracks on this explosive EP.
Finally, the EP closes with the explosive title track, “Way Down,” serving as a cathartic send-off to the record. The instruments are the main attraction here, with the lack of vocals allowing them to really shine. The guitar riffs have this dark tone but still carry a bouncy feeling to them, while the bass and drums make me want to bounce around. When Sean’s vocals do come in, they leave a major impact and make the track feel even more powerful.
Fans of Mizery, Trapped Under Ice, and Turnstile should definitely give Day of Peace a listen. You can clearly hear their influences throughout each and every song on this EP, while they still manage to make the sound their own. If you get the chance to see them live, do it, because Day of Peace is showing people exactly what the Coachella Valley hardcore scene has to offer. Coming out of the Coachella Valley, this is a band that is building their scene on the map and proving that there is something powerful happening in the desert.