Melbourne alt/emo rockers Vermont have delivered their latest EP, the huge sounding ‘Mature Minds For Overzealous Kids’. Having teased with singles, ‘Headlights’, ‘Over Our Head’, and latest single, ‘Numb’, Vermont offer up a healthy balance of heavy alternative with deep, cutting lyrics.

The four-piece, hailing from Melbourne’s West, features members Joshua Swanwick (Vocals), Jono Hnatejko (Guitar), Nathan Borg (Bass) and Curtly Lyon (Drums), and have been circling the heavy/alt scene with their own brand of alternative rock since 2017, having debut single ‘Lonely Mind’, and follow-up melodic anthem ‘Breathe’ in 2018.

‘Mature Minds For Overzealous Kids’ hits harder than it lets on. While the vocals and lyrical content lean more towards the realms of emo and alt rock, instrumentally Vermont sit closer to the metal kids. The guitars are super-thick, the bass is beastly, and the drums are meaty, all coming together a wall of sound, pushing vocalist Joshua Swanwick to the fore. It all makes sense when you realise Ocean Grove’s Sam Bassal produced, mixed and mastered this EP. The extra layers of synths, pads and samples just add a little spice to an already tasty sound.

Opener ‘Over Our Head’ wastes no time in setting the tone for the rest of the EP with big choruses galore. ‘Loathe’ gives off ‘Say Hello To Sunshine’-era Finch vibes, while massive single, ‘Headlights’ has that Ocean Grove touch to it (and again, with that massive bass tone - that’s got to be a Darkglass special) bringing new Nu Metal flourishes in to a sing-along chorus. ‘Numb’ is the big power-ballad, in Vermont style, while ‘Memories’ brings the pace back. Closer ‘Faceless’ goes for the kill with the pads and dark synth tones, and even bigger moments.

‘Mature Minds…’ is riff-heavy goodness that gives precious moments of breathing space before smothering you with more blankets of distortion and beats, save for a stellar vocal performance.

Since releasing their self-titled debut EP in 2020, Vermont have been unwavering in their taste for catchy chorus hooks, angsty, powerful vocals and sweet lead lines. Since then the four-piece have cut their teeth live supporting the likes of Stuck Out, Stepson, Pridelands, Rumours, Reside, The Comfort and Sleep Talk.

One thing is for sure, Vermont never fail to capture an aura of emotion and sentiment through their ability to story-tell.

‘Mature Minds For Overzealous Kids’ is streaming on all digital platforms now.