DISPLACEMENT // On Matters Of Metalcore

Mar 15, 2018 / WORDS Anna Rose / We’re The Bright Young Things

There’s two kinds of interviews in music. The first, the seasoned artist; thousands of interviews under their belt, several decades and albums to their name–these guys can afford to lark about a bit when you talk to them. The second, the new kids on the block; fresh off the mark into what they hope will be a lengthy career, serious and focused, slaving away at their first EP and doing everything they can do to make their dreams a reality. Displacement are the latter.

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Metalcore is the siren to which they’ve been drawn. “I wanted to play metalcore music ever since I was given a copy of End Of Heartache by Killswitch Engage when I was 15,” says the band’s drummer, Dan Harper. “Part metal, part hardcore, and the lyrical content was very much about self-identity, self-expression, your place in the world. We’re all [Displacement] massive fans of bands in the hardcore/metalcore genre. We’re very lucky being in Australia right now because there’s so much good heavy music right now, it’s very easy for us to be inspired, especially on a local level.”

Displacement are a part of this tidal wave of underground metal we’ve experienced out of Perth lately, washing over the east coast with an impressive force. They’ve immersed themselves into the scene only to pick apart each aspect of the genre and make it their own. “Displacement isn’t reinventing the wheel in terms the metalcore genre,” says Harper, “But I think we’re certainly trying to go for the melodic hardcore that’s very reminiscent of bands like The Ghost Inside or For The Fallen Dreams, but we’re also hugely inspired by more current bands like Architects and what they’re trying to do vocally and with more conventional song structures.

“I feel the subgenre is so vast you can do your thing and it’ll be appreciated by someone.”
[ Dan Harper ]

Harper has tunnel vision when it comes to his music, though we should expect nothing less from a new band like his. The pride, the love, the ambition, the wide-eyed wonder at the possibilities they could achieve results in the euphoric grit of their self-titled debut EP. Much like Harper’s beloved The End Of Heartache, EP Displacement possess the ability to transport you with its flexible melody that leaves a rough residue, a skill that’s required if you’re pursuing this style. “Every chorus, every hook, we’ve got this whole pitch scream vocal because we wanted that intensity, but we also wanted that melodic form that’s gravitating toward something rather than just being another vocally driven blunt instrument scream.

“What you hear is a really strong combination of the writing style of Steve [guitarist Steve Wilkinson] and Jack’s [Jack Harvey] vocal style which I think is the most unique thing we have in the own band. Jeremy [guitarist Jeremy Jones] has a great lead tone, and Adam [Mossman] is a super solid bass player–everyone brings a different influence from various backgrounds that all comes together in this heavy melodic package.”

There’s not such a heavy emphasis on emotion and narrative in Displacement’s debut, that will come with time and experience. But Harper does say that singer Jack Harvey is already there, writing lyrics that are more instinctive than logical, belting themes of self-identity and challenging concepts of faith and religion. “We play aggressive melodic music so as people, we’re pretty chilled out,” Harper says. “We felt that venting our passions and the emotions that we feel, the music and this genre, it works for us. When you go to these kind of shows if you’re a fan, you feel something. You can’t really explain what that feeling is but you know it’s something that changes your life.

“I think we wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for hardcore and metalcore music because it’s like a spiritual experience, because we resonate with it so much for us to come together to write a bunch of songs, it’s a labour of love, we do it because we enjoy it so much. Yes it’s pissed off, yes it’s angry, but there’s also a nice beauty to it, a counterpoint.”