JX Arket
About Existence

In an already overcrowded scene of names like metalcore/post-hardcore, the Turin-based JX Arket are attempting to make their stable entrance with "About Existence," released just a few weeks ago by Antigony Records. Did they make it? It's a difficult question to answer. On one hand, we find a band cohesive in its intentions and ready to bring to life generally well-structured tracks, but on the other hand, we face the typical ups and downs of those who want to approach multiple genres simultaneously without delving too deeply into any of them. Take the title track—and opening track—where experimentation and post-rock nuances within it suggest a band intent on a different offering, only to be reconsidered with the following "Faded Colors," where the band adjusts their aim to land in more suitable "core" territories. It's precisely in these moments that the band offers the best of itself, creating energetic tracks that nod to artists like Underoath and A Day To Remember, only to again seek expression in melody, reshuffling everything. The same goes for the vocals, traditionally divided between screamo parts and other well-crafted melodic ones. In tracks like "Mountains" and "Void And Pain," we find the essence of this band: a powerful metalcore, modernized by melodic moments capable of lightening the typical heaviness of the genre itself. JX Arket is a decidedly interesting project with yet-unexpressed potential, feeling much more at ease in frenetic moments than when it tries to give breathing room to the songwriting through experimentation little aligned with their artistic DNA.