EP Review: Patient Sixty-Seven - "What If It Never Gets Better"

by Jesse Smith

Patient Sixty-Seven (P67) is no stranger to Ghost Killer Entertainment. We have been fans of the band for many many years. Now with that, we have seen this band continue to grow, push boundaries and blur the lines between nostalgia and uniqueness. The one thing that has been very consistent is their ability to write memorable songs with relatable lyrics and song topics. “What If It Never Gets Better” is the newest addition to the Oxide Records catalog and the newest edition to the vast discography of P67. With heavy guitars mixed with infectious melodies, this EP elevates what the band has been known for and took it to new heights.

Earlier this year we took a deep dive into their single “No Place” featuring scene icon Aaron Gillespie of Underoath. I was blown away by this song when I first heard it as I felt they really turned up the aggression and the heaviness, especially in their guitar tone. Now that I have listened to this EP in full, I am pleased that this wasn’t a stand alone track. This EP is full of heavy riffs that make you do the stank face, you know what I’m talking about. Songs like “Mare’s Nest” are also very heavy and riff driven. Starting off fast and in your face from the start, I would pick that as the heavy hitter of the album. It grabs your attention from the opening and keeps it until the end. Another song that is captivating is the opening track “Nothing Inspires Forgiveness Quite Like Revenge”. First off, let’s give props to the name. Being a product of the Warped Tour metalcore era, I am still a sucker for long title names, so +10pts for that. But as an opening track, it starts off ambient and has a unique build up. When it drops, it doesn’t leave me speechless, instead it gets me excited to hear what else they have got which is the sole purpose of an opening track. It is almost like baseball, your first batter is the one who can get on base to do damage, not hit the ball into the parking lot.

In parallel to me being a sucker for the warped metalcore sound, I was also a huge fan of the way Australian bands had a unique way of writing leads and melodies that were heartfelt and stuck out but not followed by the vocalist. This EP seems to really dive into that more than usual and the song it really stands out is “Hibbertia” towards the ending. The lead tone is super bright and almost has a vibrant hollow feel which makes it even brighter, but many Aussie bands have had something similar like Saviour, For All Eternity, and even bands like Make Them Suffer in their own way back in the day.

This EP gives nostalgic vibes when metalcore shifted from the heavy production and started getting heavy with the music. It reminds me of the 2013 era when 7 strings were king and bands who usually weren’t heavy started getting heavy. I am 100% here for this new direction the band is going in and Oxide is the perfect label to be on with this kind of sound. This band has been talked about for years and still in 2024 they find a way to impress me.