EP REVIEW: Parasite Dream by Prompts
EP artwork for Parasite Dream by Prompts
Over the past decade and a half, the Japanese/Korean 5 piece have been establishing themselves as a sheer force of nature in Japan’s heavy scene. They've shared stages with the likes of Parkway Drive, Crystal Lake, The Plot In You and Thornhill, as well as performing at a number of music festivals around the country before making their way over to Australia in 2024 to perform with The Gloom In The Corner and HEAVENSGATE, then returning a year later with Diamond Construct. They’re even set to hit the stage with Currents and Knosis later this month.
Prompts returns with the EP “Parasite Dream”, this marks the band's first EP since signing with Papercut Recordings, a label founded by Ryan O’leary of Fit For A King and Leo Valeri of Brand of Sacrifice. “Parasite Dream” is a culmination of the band's growth over the last few years and brings together a string of singles with some released as far back as 2024.
The EP spans seven tracks in total, five of which have already been released as singles. Whether that reflects their recent signing to Papercut Records or simply the long gap since their last major project, that being the album “Fracture” released in July of 2022, is open to interpretation. Still, the structure can feel somewhat underwhelming, even bordering on minimal effort, as if the release leans more on packaging than new material. Some might argue that those final two unreleased tracks could have just as easily stood alone as singles in their own right. That said, even if this decision feels debatable, one thing remains certain: this EP WILLget you moving in one way or another.
“Parasite Dream”kicks off with the track Sun Eater which immediately thrusts you into a chaotic and yet controlled spiral of insanely heavy guitars coupled with some high powered and forceful blast beats. This sense of chaos only becomes more and more prevalent the deeper in you get as Prompts masterfully fuse elements from genres like deathcore, nu-metal, mathcore and djent to create a sound that is entirely unique to them.
“Parasite Dream”isn't just all breakdowns and blast beats though, tracks like Death Of Me are a breath of fresh air, highlighting melodic guitars and a steady groove on the drums that are consorted by angelic clean vocals which proves that Prompts really can do it all. There's even a good old classic metalcore guitar solo in there that will have you waving your lighter around in the air.
As good of a track as Death Of Me is, Stranger featuring Landon Tewers of The Plot In You is undoubtedly the standout of this EP. This collaboration was a defining moment for the band and put them on a lot more peoples radar. The track is wildly crushing yet very emotionally charged. It dives deep into themes of identity, self doubt and internal conflict making it relatable. It balances aggressive instrumentation with an atmosphere of desperation, creating a sense of tension that never lets up.
As a whole, “Parasite Dream”is powerful, creative, and sonically relentless. Whether you want to headbang, mosh, sing along or just vibe out, “Parasite Dream”has something for you.
FFO: Sable Hills, HIKAGE, Paledusk
SCORE: 7/10
Parasite Dream is out Tuesday 16th June on all streaming platforms via Greyscale Records in partnership with Papercut Recordings.
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