Blackpool three-piece Rendered have been putting out music since 2021, and “Slyder” – the second single from their upcoming EP “Breathe My Confession” – is the kind of track that makes clear they’ve been doing this long enough to know exactly what they want to sound like. Recorded at Berlin Recording Studios by the band themselves and produced by frontman Dale Ball, with mastering handled by Samuel Dan, the track started life as a phone recording of a hummed melody from a jam session and grew into something considerably darker. That origin story suits it.
Production quality is strong throughout, and the sound sits comfortably in a space between Alice in Chains and Pearl Jam, with that distinctly 90s weight and texture that’s hard to fake. But at the heart of the music is a narrative unique to their own experiences, and that’s what gives Rendered their own footing rather than just wearing their influences on their sleeve.
Lyrically, the track builds around the concept of the Slyder, a symbolic force that works its way into someone’s mind and causes emotional damage before eventually meeting its own downfall. It’s a dark angle, but it fits the tone of the music, and the band plays it straight rather than leaning into anything theatrical. Dale Ball’s vocals move between restrained melody and rawer, grittier outbursts, which keeps the track from sitting too comfortably in any one register.
“Breathe My Confession” is due to follow, and if “Slyder” is a reliable indicator of where the EP sits, it’s worth keeping an eye on. Rendered are doing something honest and heavy here, and the production backs them up.
