Though Timeless, the latest EP released by American metalcore band Of Mice And Men, is only composed of 3 songs, that doesn’t make it any less effective. Coming in at just under 12 and a half minutes, this release is powerful musically and makes great use of imagery lyrically. I knew as soon as I heard the first single that this would most likely be my favorite album of the year and I was not disappointed with the final release.

The first single released was “Obsolete” and I fell in love with the song as soon as I heard it. Though it wasn’t a radical departure from their earlier work, I found that it was the perfect blend of heaviness and melody. It’s fast paced and hits hard from beginning to end. The second song, “Timeless,” is easily my favorite. The imagery in the lyrics is my favorite part of the song. Like the first track, it isn’t anything radically different from Of Mice And Men’s previous work, but it is very entertaining to listen to. The final song on the EP, “Anchor,” didn’t click with me the first time I heard it. After giving myself more time to listen to it, I really enjoy it now. It’s more melody focused than the first two tracks and manages to be one of the more musically interesting songs on the EP because of their use of dynamics. The softer parts of the song make the heavier ones stand out even more.

The visuals associated with Timeless are what really make it stand out amongst other music that is being released currently. All the visuals, including the music video for “Obsolete,” were based around art done by Derek Hess. The art is entirely composed of black and white sketches, which calls back to the imagery featured in the song “Timeless.” I find that the lyrical content of that song is something that a lot of people can identify with after experiencing the year 2020. Like people trying to find hope in the darkness, Of Mice And Men describe “finding vibrance in monochrome.” I would give Timeless a 4.5 out of 5 stars because though it’s nothing groundbreaking, it’s a perfect representation of heavy music post-2020.