coldrain Keep the Fire Burning on Hook-Heavy New EP
Japanese metalcore stalwarts Coldrain drop their new EP Optimize just as they kick off a major European tour—including two standout UK dates in Manchester and London.
coldrain release their Optimize EP just prior to embarking on a lengthy European tour, which includes two UK dates at Manchester Rebellion and London’s Camden Electric Ballroom. The EP shows that the band are very much on top of their game, with their blend of post-hardcore and metalcore still hitting the spot.
Precision with Personality
There’s an awful lot packed into every track, and each song is finely crafted. That doesn’t mean they lack spark, however. The record sounds “live”, and the songs have a fresh energy about them — no mean feat for a band that released their debut eighteen years ago. Each song is hook-laden, too. You can almost imagine the postman whistling them!
Chasing Shadows and Digital Dread
The title track opens with a burst of feedback that enhances its onstage feel. There’s a compelling mix of growled and melodic vocals providing contrast throughout the EP. Optimize also features interesting tempo changes and, low in the mix, some prog-sounding keyboards, presumably courtesy of Ryo Yokochi (aka YKC). The intro to Chasing Shadows is almost jaunty, while Katsuma Minatani’s drumming at times resembles a metal Keith Moon — though the shared initials are surely coincidence. “Chasing shadows in the dark” sounds like a challenge, but perhaps that’s the point.
Digitoll expresses a dystopian distrust of digital technology (possibly rightly so), and the title hints at the toll we may yet pay. What sounds like a synthesised bass intro sets the tone, though it might just be a treated baritone guitar — you can decide for yourself. The closing riff, however, veers surprisingly towards the funky. Incomplete is similarly dystopian, featuring more growled vocals than the other tracks, while Free Fall is arguably the sonically heaviest track on the EP. Despite that, it still carries an identifiable hook, and the fade-out cleverly mirrors the sensation of falling.
SPOTIFY PRE-SAVE HERE
Tour Incoming, Album Soon?
Listening to this EP, it’s clear that everything has been carefully considered. Nothing feels throwaway; coldrain have approached this as if they were making a full album. It’s worth noting, though, that it’s been three years since their last LP — surely it’s time, guys? In the meantime, catch them live if you can. They play Manchester on 22nd November and London on 23rd November.
WORDS: MARK KELLY
OPTIMIZE UK TOUR DATES
22/11 – Rebellion, Manchester (UK)
23/11 – Electric Ballroom, London (UK)
25/11 – Trix, Antwerp (BE)
26/11 – Trabendo, Paris (FR)
27/11 – Carlswerk Victoria, Cologne (DE)
28/11 – Große Freiheit 36, Hamburg (DE)
30/11 – Melgweg, Amsterdam (NL)
01/12 – Garage, Saarbrücken (DE)
02/12 – Kiff, Aarau (CH)
03/12 – LKA Longhorn, Stuttgart (DE)
05/12 – Palac Akropolis, Prague (CZ)
06/12 – Barba Negra, Budapest (HU)
07/12 – Szene, Vienna (AT)
09/12 – Proxima, Warsaw (PL)
10/12 – Lido, Berlin (DE)
12/12 – Backstage, Munich (DE)
13/12 – Zoom, Frankfurt (DE)
Tickets for all shows are on sale now here
More coldrain on Punkinfocus: coldrain announce OPTIMIZE = OPTDEMISE and unveil EX-HUMANITY (July 2026) · coldrain Set Sights on Europe with New EP and Tour (October 2025)
