TRIIIPL3 INC. x Crooked Bangs – Tough Love

• Anti-climax, then two powerful melodic drops
• Immaculate use of the high-pitched vocals
• Lack of unpredictable details, yet enjoyable

There is a certain challenge that comes with reviewing Hardstyle, as its structuring remains convoluted with BPM, the type of kick(s), the leads, etc… Yet it’s a refreshing change of pace to present fascinating productions like that from time to time!

“Tough Love” is the latest project by a couple of influential aliases at Dirty Workz: TRIIIPL3 INC. and Crooked Bangs. Having several years of experience in the Hardstyle realm, this set of artists has the prowess of bringing a top-quality creation to the table, even if the use of typical sounds in the genre creates an initial effect of “this is something I’ve already heard”.

Let’s commence with the high-pitched vocal paired with a euphoric buildup, which invokes a dynamic anti-climactic drop right after the thirty-seconds mark! It’s not too lethal, and the kick doesn’t thrust too hard, yet I appreciated the vocal chops used.

Moving from the first drop, we have another prolonged buildup with two final melodic drops, fulfilling what I was most looking to include in Melodic Hardstyle. The big transition is a work of art, with incredible support from the percussions and a vigorous lead pushing the climax to its limit. As said, I was hoping for something more unconventional before the finale, but the outcome left me satisfied, which is entertaining and buzzing with energy. The vocal doesn’t get used a lot, and since I am not a great admirer of high pitches, I still managed to enjoy that.

A huge Hardstyle composition for DWX, “Tough Love” is clearly evidence of the experience and effort that transpires behind its sound design. The wish for something “outside the box” is still there and could have made my review easier to write, but I dig and recommend it to all the Hardstyle fanatics out there.

You can listen to “Tough Love” here:

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