Every once in a while a young band without a record label falls into my mailbox, this time it’s the Dutch formation Uplifted that has recorded a new EP called Approximate. Approximate is already the second EP of Uplifted which has started the search for a label with this EP.

 

Approximate kicks off with ‘New Found Glory’ which immediately reminds me a bit of The Lost Prophets. Which, like Uplifted, is also a band that combines different elements of Punk, Hardcore, Rock and Metal. One of the nicest things about Uplifted is that every song sounds completely different, where ‘New Found Glory’ has some Punk influences, the second song, ‘Approximate’ has a more Hardcore approach.

 

Along the album there’s only one minor setback. The vocals are several times out of tone which is, especially in a song like ‘Haven’, really annoying. The hardcore vocals are on the contrary really great, although sometimes those vocals are a bit overwhelmed by the music.

 

The crossover style of Uplifted is something that stands out from the first song ‘New Found Glory’ until the last song ‘Parameters’. Considering the variety of styles that are combined within the different songs and the unique sound Uplifted creates, it’s obvious to say that they're heading in the right direction. I’m not saying they are there yet because there’s still room for improvement, especially considering the vocals, but overall, Uplifted shows they can create great songs with an own identity.