Coursing through North Carolina, following the veins of the state into the city of Charlotte, is the New Wave Metal entity known as ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฌ๐ข๐ง๐ . By definition, "Coursing" is the act of hunting prey by sight, and seeing these guys live, I can definitely say you feel the danger. Donning robes, body and face paint, and even masks, you would think these guys have their own cultโ and after this, you just may join yourself.
Releasing their latest track, a cover of "๐๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ฐ ๐๐ก๐ข๐ญ" by industrial metal icon, ๐๐๐ซ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ง ๐๐๐ง๐ฌ๐จ๐ง, the group equips this rendition against the monotonous with an axe and face paint. Sometimes the cover gives the original a lift, these guys give it an aggressive overhaul.
Marking the band's tenth release since their 2018 formation, they are no strangers to their profession. This resurrection of the 2003 anthem off of "๐โ๐ ๐บ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ด๐๐ ๐๐ ๐บ๐๐๐ก๐๐ ๐๐ข๐" is a breath of viscous fresh air. The group already having an album under their belt, 2023's release "๐๐๐๐กโ๐๐๐ ๐ ", an 8- track onslaught, it is not their first attempt at a recreation of a song. Previously releasing their own cover of ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ฉ๐ค๐ง๐จ๐ญ'๐ฌ "๐๐๐จ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ = ๐๐ก๐ข๐ญ", these guys do not hide who they pay homage to, and where their roots are coming from. Noting ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ฉ๐ค๐ง๐จ๐ญ, ๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐๐, and ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐ข๐๐ฅ as inspirations, The Coursing once again remind you that what they touch will be carved for everyone to see.
Vocalist and front man Dillon Sheets splays his vast ability with extreme vocals, opening the track with high-pitched screams, shifting into the infamous "dead-man" voice of melodic talking with distortion- it feels like you're being haunted by an actual entity. He then hits the chorus with a frontal assault. Hearing the chorus with these harsh vocals and layers proves that sometimes, heavier IS better. I was not a fan of the original song, but I cannot help but want to hit things and yell along to this recreation, which shows The Coursing knows what they're doingโ making the mind and body react.
When asked why this second cover was hand-picked, the band stated,
๐๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ฐ๐๐ฒ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ซ๐ฒ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฌ๐ก๐จ๐ฐ ๐ ๐๐ข๐๐๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ฌ๐ข๐๐ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐๐ญ๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐ฐ๐๐ฒ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐๐ง๐ฌ ๐ ๐ง๐๐ฐ ๐ข๐ง๐ง๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฐ๐๐ฒ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ง ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฌ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฅ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฆ๐ ๐๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ. "๐๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ฐ ๐๐ก๐ข๐ญ" ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ญ๐๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ฌ๐จ๐ง๐ , ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ง๐๐ฐ ๐ฐ๐๐ฏ๐ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ญ๐๐๐ฅ๐, ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐๐ญ๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐ฐ๐๐ฒ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฌ๐ก๐จ๐ฐ ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ฐ๐ ๐จ๐๐๐๐ซ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐ ๐ฌ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ค๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ?
Drummer Tyler Wooten does a fantastic job behind the kit, playing the intricate verses of cymbals and bass, before making the song feel like it has its own room to itself in the chorus. Tyler nails the atmosphere of this industrial anthem, he embeds himself into this call against the dull, and show's that he is anything butโ and he is in full control.
As a guitar player myself, I hone into the stringed instruments naturally. Guitarist Mike Malone gives what I thought the original lackedโ a bleeding edge. The guitar is one of the first things heard in the track, and Mike plays this thing flawlessly, with a hefty tone that gives the song a hunger for movement. Adding in his own personality with harmonies, pick scrapes, nicely touched lead effectsโ things not shown through in the originalโ Mike knows his instrument and commands it.
The production on this piece is nicely crafted. All the instruments and Dillon balance equally, and the synths and nuances provided in such industrial music is done crisply and carefully. This is very prevalent in all their past releases, where they regularly utilize synths, soft piano, and droning backgrounds to set the dark atmosphere this band has spliced itself into.
The themes of their original music, along with their two cover choices, all root back to the resistance of toxic humanity, other people you encounter who want you backed into a corner, to make you feel small, to take what you have. The Coursing shows they will not allow or stand for it, and that what they have themselves cannot be ripped from them. Their souls are theirs to own.
You can catch The Coursing on their upcoming tour with ๐๐จ๐ซ๐๐ฉ๐ข๐ and ๐๐๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ญ // ๐๐๐๐ข๐ง๐, tickets:
