Advocates Step Up On Their Latest Single, 'Detachment'

Get detached (sorry) with the latest single from Melbourne's Advocates, 'Detachment'.

While I have nothing against Melbourne's Advocates, 2016's 'The Complex Truth' EP left me wanting somewhat. While not bad, it did one thing and one thing only: being fuck-off heavy. In doubling down on that metalcore-beatdown sound, and across seven songs set within these bogged-down genre(s), "heavy" doesn't mean all that much.

Yet following this local wrecking crew's melodic, energetic and soaring 2017 single, 'Wither', Advocates are trying to spruce things up. Namely when they dropped their latest track earlier this month, the explosive riff-apocalypse of 'Detachment'. Make no mistake, this ain't some sudden 180-shift in sound and it does what you'd expect from most mosh-heavy, breakdown-loving and low-tuned bands such as this Aussie outfit. But honestly, Advocates have never felt this invigorated or sounded this urgent in their songwriting as they have with these recent two singles.

'Detachment' really proves that Advocates are genuinely getting better at their craft, while showing plenty of promise for what they could be cooking up next. Their latest work contains a tighter structure, a keener ear for melody, and more intricate guitar riffs and leads. But it also finds time to smash down the door with decent mosh parts and tasteful use of breakdowns too. (Way more bands should aim for a minimum of two short breakdowns per song). It ebbs and flows well from section to section, with the song's format rarely repeating itself or revisiting previous moments just to fill out the track length. Every part feels meaningful and it's got something to say, too.

I also love how the lyrics - written about people's detachment from the world around them, in more ways than one - starts out big in the grand scheme of things before honing down into smaller moments regarding frontman Detlyn Raven's own life as the track surges on. The lyrics are also never repeated for the sake of a shoe-horned in chorus or to dumb down the track in any sense. It all continuously moves forward throughout, just like the rest of the piece itself. Meaning that 'Detachment' is just pure rage and heaviness front to back, with riffs and attitude galore, all tackling personal and global societal failure at the same time.

Hit up the band's newest single below: