Review: “I Cared Once” by Returner

Not for the first time of late we’ve looked at a bands name or song title and wondered if it’s taken from something else we’ve heard before. In the case of Düsseldorf Germany residents Returner who cite their influences as being  Counterparts, Stray From The Path and I Prevail, it seems that the name of the 2010 sophomore album from The Ghost Inside, “Returners“, a Metal Noise favourite, is where they took their moniker from. The Melodic Hardcore quartet worked with Daan Nieboer of 18 Miles and recorded the three song at Cornerstone Audio in the Netherlands, giving it the title “I Cared Once“. They previously appeared on a Blink 182 tribute album, contributing a version of “The Party Song”.

A high energy thunderbolt of an opening track in “For You” gets “I Cared Once” off the a flyer with a statement piece that says I did it all for you but you just fell asleep in a whirlwind of swirling guitars and visceral moods. The story of a broken relationship, the vocals are the sound that shatters the mirrors of the lyrics at 30 paces, cutting through the guitars like a chainsaw through butter. “Lost Inside My Head” has some of the funk of Clutch in its main riff sound while the pre-breakdown moment had more than a hint of Hatebreed to it. A driven cut that sees a clean backing vocal add additional lines to the vicious main ones, it’s a nice touch. “Making Memories” bridges the gap between the previous two songs stylistically creating a track that would happily appear on A Day To Remember album. Clean choruses and caustic verses with home fast and heavy yet melodic riffs that get into your head and do a little dance, it’s fun and addictive like Tetris, without breaking any new ground. You’ll like it, though you might not necessarily know why. Oh and that cover art. We’d swear that the rock is actually a subliminal middle finger… [7/10]

Track listing

1. For You
2. Lost Inside My Head
3. Making Memories

“I Cared Once” by Returner is out now via Redfield Digital