By DOTTIE PARIS – Part punk, part rock and pure innovation.  The Departure releases its latest EP, Gateways.

It’s a masterful work and there’s no doubt this talented crew has a long and successful road ahead.

They’re all under the age of 25, with 22-year-old Ryan DeBlanc on vocals and guitar; 18-year-old Max Hedding on bass; 17-year-old Gavin Allein on drums 18-year-old Aidan McDonald on guitar and 23-year-old Dylan Proesch on keyboards and vocals.

Ryan’s lead vocals are strong, and the band’s sound cranks along at an energetic clip with no air to spare.  The music is hardcore-meets-hearthrob as Ryan has one of those young voices the girls really like. You can hear The Departure on Soundcloud.

Accented with nice guitar work, and an impressive rythm section, The Departure puts out some interesting and inspiring songs.  The presentation is offbeat, the production and engineering are top notch, mixed and mastered by Erik Godal and tracked by Scott Shields.  Check out The Departure on Facebook.

While it may seem like an unusual combination, The Departure is one part Green Day one part Marilyn Manson with a little Set It Off thrown in.  But somehow it works.

The Salt Lake City-based band has secureed opening spots for major acts such as Phantogram, Cold War Kids, and some choice music festivals.

The Marilyn Manson-style voice that abruptly enters several songs is well done, but seems sometimes out of place. One example is the commanding and high energy tune, “Forget Everything,” a high-energy relationship lament.  Is the heavy voice supposed to be a lover’s response to the “What did you expect me say when you were wrong?”

There are a lot of good tracks on the EP, each of them with a strong message, like “Incompetence.”  If you’re a fan of the hardcore-alternative genre, this one will hit you.

A true highlight of the EP is the song “Lonely Eyes,” which features great lyrics, excellent harmony and outstanding and emotive guitar work.  EP opener “For The Best” also has a cool, driving riff, complete with emphatic bass and power drums.

Gateways is a remarkable EP, particularly given the age of these young and accomplished musicians.  It’s easy to tell The Departure will not be leaving the music world any time soon and it’s a safe bet we’ll be hearing more good music from this talented group.