For a five-song EP, Breton Sound concentrates on perfecting a certain sound. There’s hard-rock seriousness, rave ups, and a pretty ballad that slowly switches into an almost march. They pull no punches as their first track, “Standing on the Edge of the World,” hits hard like second-generation grunge bands from the turn of the century. This track flows well into “No Way Out,” which adds a more danceable beat without letting up on the heaviness. The band has tightness with the two guitars locking in the higher chiming leads and distorted rhythm chords like metal locks slamming shut. Drummer Jonathan Alcorn hits his drums hard, and this keeps the music relentless, reinforcing the alternating seriousness and hope of the vocals. Singer Jonathan Pretus sings with great intensity as he proclaims the choruses. Even on the happier numbers, his voice has more than a hint of desperation that makes the record sound more urgent. Although there are clear antecedents to what Breton Sound is doing—such as dense guitars of Boston and Kansas to low seriousness of 3 Doors Down to instrumental interplay of Guns ‘n’ Roses—they are still playing it hard and heavy. It will be interesting to hear what they can do over the course of a full album.