As the saying goes, good things often come in small packages. For music listeners, this is often in the form of the “extended play,” or as most people know it, the EP. Once an outlet for B-sides and extensions to albums, the EP has taken a life of its own in the digital age of music streaming as they often stand alone as a collection of songs to close the gap between full-length albums. As a result, plenty of quality content has been delivered to music fans in every genre in the form of the EP. In the second piece of four decade retrospective articles on the polarizing metalcore genre, we’re taking a look at the ten best, most impactful EPs of the past ten years.

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Blood Youth – Closure (2016) Kicking things off are the high-energy British punks in Blood Youth with the release that launched them out of the underground and into the ears of metal-heads everywhere. While the band has recently leaned hard into their Slipknot-influenced nu-metalcore tendencies, Closure was a collection of songs rooted firmly in punk metalcore (as was most of their earlier material). The fast-paced heavy punk riffs and crushing breakdowns would put this in the same pocket of the genre as early Beartooth, or the catchier side of Every Time I Die. The ear-worming guitar leads laced across the title track ensure that’s likely the best of the bunch, but the gut-punch of a track in “Mood Swing” is not far behind. The riffs are dirty, the breakdowns are nasty, and the choruses soar in what is an altogether excellent release that properly foreshadowed the success to come on Blood Youth’s future projects. The group has a promising future, and diving into the Closure EP might be the best way to join the bandwagon.

The White Noise – Aren’t You Glad? (2016) The White Noise came out of nowhere in 2016, bursting on the scene with the blistering single “Bloom,” which set the stage for the Aren’t You Glad debut release on Fearless Records. Originally named Set the Sun, The White Noise re-branded and the result was tremendously captivating. Exploring new sonic territory, Aren’t You Glad bears influence from all across the Warped Tour scene, combining punk, hardcore, post-hardcore, and metal into their unique sound that’s as catchy as it is heavy. “Bloom” is an obvious highlight, live-set staple and easily the best way to introduce a new listener to the group, but each track on the EP is impressive in its own right. “Cosmopolitician” is absolutely the angriest of the bunch, and the huge chorus on the punk number “Picture Day” resulted in a second hit single. The sharp dual vocals from Shawn Walker and David Southern provided the perfect vehicle for accomplished songwriter and White Noise guitarist Josh Strock, who channeled his experience writing for Crown the Empire and Motionless in White into plenty of infectious melodies across the release. Topped off by the crisp production effort by scene star Drew Fulk, Aren’t You Glad is a tour-de-force and an altogether excellent EP.

The Devil Wears Prada – Space (2015) The legendary TDWP made plenty of waves in the late 2000s and early 2010s, rising to the top of the genre on the back of several staple releases. Though their popularity seemed to wane a bit throughout the past decade, the quality of their music certainly did not. The Space conceptual EP was delivered between albums in 2015 and remains one of the most enthralling 20 minutes the genre has to offer. “Planet A,” the fictional piece about a stranded astronaut named Elizabeth is the opening track and also likely the best. The song introduces the package with radio communication samples, sound effects and keyboards that wouldn’t feel out of place on Hans Zimmer’s Interstellar soundtrack. These elements ensure a haunting, other-worldly atmosphere for the entire duration of the EP. On paper, the spacey juxtaposition with the trademark Prada metalcore may not sound like a winning combination, but the composition is nothing short of spectacular. “Asteroid” closes the EP in dramatic fashion, as Mike Hranica’s exceptional storytelling ability turns the 4.5-minute song into a film-like odyssey. The Space EP is not your average metalcore composition, it’s a cinematic experience unique to TDWP.

Like Moths to Flames – the Dream is Dead (2015) More of a 7” sampler than a true extended play, The Dream is Dead is a two-track package delivering two of the best Like Moths to Flames songs in their decorated discography. “Bury Your Pain” is the first half, and perhaps may be the band’s signature track. Yep, that’s right, even better than the classic “You Won’t Be Missed” that launched their career with a bang in 2011. The song opens with a mosh call and a perfectly moshable, devastatingly heavy first verse. Vocalist Chris Roetter sounds like a man on a mission here, tearing into yet another iconic pit-starting line (“I gave up on you long before you gave up on yourself”) before the first chorus even hits. Catchy as they’ve ever been, the blistering “Bury Your Pain” overshadows its counterpart by a bit, but “What’s Done is Done” is certainly no slouch. Both high energy songs allow for equally intense performances from the passionate Roetter. As a result, The Dream is Dead 7” is not only essential for all Like Moths to Flames fans, but metalcore listeners in general.

Northlane & In Hearts Wake – Equinox (2016) Another unorthodox EP to make the list, Equinox is a split performance from two Australian heavy hitters, Northlane and In Hearts Wake. Coming as a bit of a surprise, the collaborative EP was produced to commemorate their co-headlining tour of their home country. Special in that each member of both bands performed on the two songs, which are connected by a spacey interlude. “Refuge” is the first of the two actual songs, and leans more towards the style of metalcore performed by In Hearts Wake. “Hologram” is the second, and is firmly rooted in the more atmospheric progressive metal produced by Northlane. In Hearts Wake vocalists Jake Taylor and Kyle Erich deliver the best vocal performances of their careers on “Refuge,” which boasts a massive chorus and colossal breakdown. “Hologram” is more of a slow burn, though the second half of the song, led by impeccable Northlane frontman Marcus Bridge, drops an equally impressive payoff as its predecessor. Both songs are simply fantastic, and the unique collaboration creates a distinct listening experience delivered by the best of both talented bands. Equinox is tremendous, and yet another essential listen for fans of metalcore worldwide.

Beartooth – Sick (2013) If there ever was a “prodigal son” of the genre, it would be Beartooth’s Caleb Shomo. Making a name for himself fronting two impressive Attack Attack! album cycles as a teenager, including manning production duties on the latter as well, Beartooth had a good bit of hype behind them before even dropping a song. “I Have a Problem” was the first, and it was followed by the Sick EP which was issued as a free download in the summer of 2013. Completely written, recorded and produced by Shomo, Sick was an absolute statement from the young man, and furthered the Beartooth momentum into overdrive. Relentless from start to finish, “Go Be the Voice,” “Set Me on Fire” and “Pick Your Poison” rounded out the release, and represents the heaviest, darkest moments of Shomo’s career. Following the release, Caleb and his live band continued performing on the house show circuit voluntarily before finding themselves touring alongside the genre’s best in short order. Sick set the stage for their incredible debut Disgusting, and provided the launch pad that allowed Beartooth to ascend into the headliners they are today.

Polaris – The Guilt and the Grief (2016) Australian heavy-hitters Polaris dropped one of the genre’s best debut albums in 2017, but it was preceded by an equally impressive EP in the Guilt and the Grief. Opening with “Regress,” Polaris immediate state their intention to rise to the top of the genre, taking high-speed Northlane-esque progressive guitar riffs coupled with intense vocals and soaring melodies. The energy is always high, the musicianship is always tight, and the vocalists are always engaging, Polaris displays an impressive grip on songwriting, melody and dynamics across all six songs. Northlane’s Marcus Bridge joins the party on “Hold You Under,” the closer and emotional climax of the release. If you jumped on the Polaris bandwagon following the release of The Mortal Coil, you are highly encouraged to visit its predecessor for an equally exciting collection of tracks in The Guilt and the Grief.

Currents – I Let the Devil In (2018) Much like Polaris, Currents are among the crop of younger groups who began taking the genre by storm in the back half of the decade. Following an impressive debut album in 2017’s The Place I Feel Safest, Currents may have topped it with the five-song collection known as I Let the Devil In. Lead single “Into Despair” kicks things off in devastating fashion and demonstrates Currents’ outstanding ability to balance aggression and atmosphere with anger and melancholy. Vocalist Brian Willie truly has one of the most impressive ranges in all of metal, and it’s on full display across each song. “My Disguise” presents the biggest chorus of the Currents discography next to colorful guitar leads, ultimately delivering a puzzlingly positive atmosphere beneath their most uplifting message to date before diving into a crushing signature breakdown. “Feel the Same” bridges the EP, and is a melodic slow burn that climaxes with ear-worming lead guitar harmonies. “The Rope” and “Forever Marked” are Currents at their darkest and absolute heaviest, tremendously closing this stellar release. Just over twenty minutes long, I Let the Devil In flies by and begs for repeated listens.

The Devil Wears Prada – Zombie (2010) I’m admittedly breaking the rules a bit to include a second release by a band who already appeared [at #8] on this list, but ultimately it is an inclusion as well deserved as any. Those who noticed the Space EP listed previously couldn’t possibly believe I’d omit Zombie from the countdown, right?! The Devil Wears Prada dropped this metalcore classic in 2010, featuring their most blisteringly heavy and consistently fantastic material (a statement that likely still stands). As the title suggests, TDWP face an undead outbreak in this conceptual piece of music that is ultimately executed so well it feels more like a cinematic experience than a five-song metalcore release. Frontman Mike Hranica took his talents to an entirely different level atop Chris Rubey’s most impressive slew of guitar riffs all across the Zombie EP. These improvements are noticeable from the moment the rainstorm sound effects cease and the tour-de-force that is “Escape” truly begins. From there, TDWP inject chainsaw sound effects, eerie radio broadcasts, and even the growls of the undead themselves to further the overall soundtrack-like feel to the record. The deliciously horrifying intro to “Anatomy” is a highlight, followed by the tremendous “Outnumbered” and its massive dual vocal chorus. Then, “Revive” and “Survivor” round out the storyline in impressive fashion. At the peak of the Walking Dead’s popularity, many could point fingers at TDWP for cashing in on a gimmick, but the EP is oozing with impressive musicianship and attention to detail. Quite simply, it commands respect. Zombie EP is a metalcore classic and one of the best releases of any format in the past ten years.