Grab a glass of wine and take a seat—it’s about to get heavy as OVERSIZE’s debut album, Vital Signs takes you on a NOSTALGIA-DRIVEN journey into the world of OVERSIZE.
Words by Felix Bartlett | Feb 26, 2025
Ever since OVERSIZE landed on our radar and tickled our eardrums, we were hooked. The anticipation and hype only grew when news broke last November that, after signing with Sharptone Records, the South West UK crew would be releasing their debut album the following year—earning them a spot on our Ones to Watch in 2025 list. Now, four months later—was it worth the wait?
In short, yes. OVERSIZE have absolutely smashed it, crafting a deeply personal and expansive album that blends post-hardcore, shoegaze, emo, and alternative metal into just over 30 minutes of pure, emotional storytelling. Driven by atmospheric riffs, dreamy vocals, and raw, cathartic energy, this debut is nothing short of a masterclass.
‘Stalling’ opens the album by presenting with it, a haunting introduction that sets the tone for the grief-stricken themes to come. This seamlessly transitions into ‘Are You With Me?’, where heavy yet airy guitar work creates a soundscape that feels both intimate and vast that feels heavily inspired by the early work of Deftones (in the best way possible) as it flows into ‘Fall Apart’ which creeps up on you as it follows its predecessor, cranking up the intensity with its post-hardcore edge, delivering a visceral punch that left me foaming at the mouth for more.
Marking the midway point, ‘Something Clean’ dances with its emo influences and offers a melancholic respite before erupting into raw, screamed vocals that took me back to those teenage years writing out my teenage angst in my notebook looking to escape reality. ‘Daretomove’ continues this notalgic trip with the band’s 90s influences being channelled into every vein of this track, with nods to The Smashing Pumpkins and Deftones.
The latter half of Vital Signs ceases to ease up on it’s blend of heavy riffs and ethereal lyrics, with ‘From The Hell’ and ‘Salt’ delivering subtle yet intense headbanging energy whilst never diverging from the central theme of grief with a melancholic yet powerful approach. The penultimate track, ‘Vacant’, tackles the struggles of communication with crushing lyrics and a heavier sound, while the title track ‘Vital Signs’ closes the record with a delivery of all the bells and whistles that OVERSIZE have made their own —dreamy atmospheres, unexpected screams, and a promise of bigger things to come.
Vital Signs delivers exactly what it set out to: a raw, visceral experience inspired by some of the most influential tracks of the ’90s, while still offering something new and unique.
It’s no secret that Vital Signs will be dropping this Friday alongside a sea of bigger albums (here’s looking at you Architects), but I urge you to take a moment to pause and get stuck into this emotionally charged masterpiece of a debut. Let it take hold of you in its cold hands and transport you elsewhere this Friday night with that glass of red wine (or other poison) in hand.
Verdict: 💀💀💀💀
For fans of: Deftones, Pixies, The Smashing Pumpkins
Vital Signs is released on February 28th via Sharptone Records
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