How We End – How We End (Ward Records)

Having announced the birth of How We End over a year ago, it’s shocking that there hasn’t been more buzz about the admittedly star-powered act. Featuring guitarist Jen Mujura (ex-Evanescence), Jake E (Cyhra/ex-Amaranthe), Diva Satanica (ex-Nervosa, Bloodhunter), and guitarist Tom Nauman (ex-Primal Fear), it’s a massive line-up particularly for fans of more modern metal. How We End was released at the end of June to an Asian audience through Ward Records, with no other announcements set for a wider release. So this scribe added it into her latest CDJapan order and imported it for a fresh listen. Given the talent behind this project, it’s not surprise that it lives up to the high expectations.

Fans of any of the aforementioned acts will find plenty to enjoy about How We End’s debut, but most pleasingly is how it never seems to ape any of the band member’s current/former projects. There’s a distinctly fresh feeling, even if there are some familiar notes to it. One of the biggest deviations you can quickly find is both vocalists going in more of a rap/hip hop direction with some of the vocals in several tracks, such as “Same Blood,” where they zip through faster verse parts accompanied by rumbling bass and some heavier electronics, which makes for a more thrilling contrast when they get to the chorus and layer the scream/sung parts with a soaring aspect. While some may start to pull up the Amaranthe comparisons here, listening to a song like “Does Anyone Give” really showcases how different Diva Satanica’s vocal performance is. The group feels far heavier at times, and Diva escalates those feelings nicely at the right times.

It’s truly tough to place where How We End sits with a simple classification scheme. The heavy use of electronics and attitude of “Final Day” certainly falls into the modern category, as does their penchants for uplifting choruses. A more melodic cut like “We All Die Young” really grasps onto the electronics and synths, and impresses with it’s almost industrial edge instead of leaning too hard into ballad-y territory. “My Cyanide” offers some punchy grooves and melodic guitarwork (alongside some very prevalent bass) and really let’s Jake E does what he does best with a really dynamic, playful bit of vocals at the chorus, but not forgetting the melodic hooks in the guitars at the same time. With the impressive band roster, there’s a clear focus on allowing all of the members to shine instead of relying on the vocals to simply carry the music.

A fun-filled blast of electronics, grooves, hook-y riffs, and dueling vocals, How We End bring out all of the stops with their debut. With the talent behind them, it might not be a complete surprise, but it nonetheless comes across as an inventive release that covers a lot of diverse ground and never fails to impress. One has to hope that How We End gets a wider release in the near future so that a more global audience has an easier time checking it out, as it’s more than deserving of a massive audience. A must for modern metal fans.