A Letter to Anguish – the latest EP from UK technical deathcore merchants Harbinger – is a masterclass in savage grooves and surgical instrumental precision. The outing comprises six tracks in total, all crammed with riff upon glorious riff courtesy of guitarists Ben Sutherland and Charlie Griffiths.
A notable standout on the record is its third track, Guile, a thunderous pit-spinner peppered with tastefully placed leads and an utterly face-melting intro guitar solo. And the lads – Sutherland, Griffiths and bassist Kris Aarre – have filmed a beautifully shot guitar playthrough of the track, which we’re thrilled to premiere at Guitar World.
As Sutherland explains, Guile’s technic complexity from an electric guitar perspective arose due to the band’s “tendency to avoid standard powerchords”.
“I find chord inversions and different structures way more exciting these days than your straight powerchord shapes,” he says, but adds that they’re “not afraid to use a big powerchord if the section requires it''.
And while Guile is – in our opinion – one of the highlights on A Letter to Anguish, the track was actually a last-minute addition to the EP.
“We had chosen five tracks that we wanted to take forward and release and then a month or two before entering the studio Guile was thrown into the mix,” Griffiths says. “It was a favorite amongst all members so it was a no-brainer that we had to release six tracks rather than five.”
In terms of gear, both Sutherland and Griffiths wield Carillion guitars – a Plagueis 6 Custom and a Hellcat 6 Custom, respectively – while Aarre uses a four-string Ibanez SRFF800 multi-scale bass guitar. For the studio recording, the band laid down all guitar and bass parts at Griffiths’ home studio, using a Fractal Audio Axe-Fx III.
Fans are likely to hear Guile – and a host of others from A Letter to Anguish – when the band head out on their upcoming UK tour, which is due to hit London, Bristol, Southampton, Birmingham and more. To see a full list of dates, and to buy tickets, head to the band’s website.
