Thus far, Dreamcatcher have done an excellent job maintaining their unique brand of metal-meets-K-pop, resulting in a cohesive (but never stagnant) singles run. Most of my favorite Dreamcatcher songs tend to draw upon diverse influences rather than go straight-on rock, so Piri’s electronic elements are definitely welcome. The song may not completely reinvent the wheel, but it’s yet another super-solid entry in the group’s discography.

I found last September’s What a little too abrasive, without a strong melody to back up the energy. But, Piri balances its bombast with plenty of strong melodic moments. Opening with a siren call of distorted guitar, the instrumental quickly moves into a repeated whistle of synths that will soon drive parts of the song’s chorus. Piri’s verses are much more rap-heavy than expected, which proves both exciting and irritating. The triplet flow in the second verse feels unnecessary and overdone, but the injection of hip-hop brings a new sense of rhythm to the rest of the track.

Piri’s strongest moment is its multi-part chorus, which kicks off with a mostly-instrumental drop — EDM-style, but driven by guitar. This moves seamlessly into a standout vocal refrain before climaxing in a chant-heavy post-chorus hook. Any one of these elements might not elicit much excitement on its own, but taken as a trio they provide quite a punchy rush. The piano-led bridge offers a welcome respite from all the blustering guitar, clearing space so that the final chorus packs the necessary intensity to send Piri off on a high. I think I may still prefer a few other Dreamcatcher title tracks, but this is definitely up there with their best.

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