Single Review: Tumor

Amanaki are back with the second single from their forthcoming EP, Tempest, and is a song which they say was incredibly difficult to record, and even harder to play live given the emotions behind it. During the first lockdown, April discovered that her father’s cancer had spread, and she was unable to see her parents through much of that time. She turned her emotions to music, recording demos at home, trying to vent her anger and feelings, and then told Jared what the song needed to be about, and he knocked out the words in one session. This is personal, this is anger, emotions which are raw and untethered all combined in melodic hardcore which is crossing over into areas often inhabited by the likes of Body Count or Stormtroopers of Death.

In 150 seconds, we are taken on a journey, which commences with a swirling repeated riff and cymbal hits before the bass and drums hit in on a repetitive beat which is hard-hitting and powerful. When my wife was diagnosed with cancer there were times when all I wanted to do was scream against the world, and Amanaki have distilled that passion and that pain to produce yet another song which shows just how much these guys have to offer the hardcore community. Over the top and in your face, this is a banger from start to end.

This song is dedicated to April’s father, Steve Harvey, 1959-2021.