Spiritbox never fails to deliver, man. The Fear of Fear is their latest musical concept, presenting the best of all of their current sounds to us in a six-track package of absolute monstrosity. I love that everything Spiritbox does is so refined and intentful, they really care about the art of it all, and even with all that they can still make unparalleled bangers and even get a Grammy nomination. That's just insane for modern metalcore, and that's why they deserve every bit of their success and more.
Cellar Door was such a punch to the face as a single, and a great opener for the EP. Infusing their signature creepy-heavy modern metal sound with some really cool slam hardcore influences, it's one of the most ruthless cuts Spiritbox has ever released. The chromatic riff is intense and I love how well they vary and build upon it throughout the song. The song also stays unrelentingly heavy the entire way through, which is a plus. Of course, cherry on top is the ridiculous breakdown, complete with one of the best build-ups of the entire year. The riff is nasty too, accompanied by a four-on-the-floor drum beat that is so caveman. I can't even tell you what polyrhythm it is, but it is stank face material all day. Also, small shoutout to the ambient lead work in this song, Mike knows his shit.
Jaded, the Grammy nominated masterpiece. As it should be. One of the most well-rounded modern metal tracks they've ever made, nigh perfect to the genre in every aspect yet signature to themselves, it's the anthological successor to Circle With Me in my opinion. Stellar sound design, insane main riff, perfect dynamics especially with the clean and harsh vocals, exquisite chorus, beautiful breakdown and tastefully profound lyrics, it's all so smartly put together. You have to experience it, that's for sure.
Too Close / Too Late is the first non-single in the tracklist, and a beautiful one at that. One of the more vocal-focused cuts on the EP, it leans more into the beautiful side of their sound, reminiscent of songs like Secret Garden and The Summit. The electronics are dark and lovely (the intro reminds me just the tiniest bit of Chaos Chaos' Do You Feel It?). I love the chorus but I also love the little 'dun dundun' in the instrumental, fun little groove over there. Vocal production is amazing on this one, the bridge sounds angelic.
Angel Eyes is the other heavy track on the EP, and I gotta say, my least favourite (but not by much, not by much at all). Nik Nocturnal lauded it as a Holy Roller 2.0, which makes sense since Holy Roller was also not that life-changing of a track for me. Great lyrics though, and I actually do enjoy a lot of the guitarwork in this track. The slight dissonance they pull off with the chromatic riffs and the key change(?) in the chorus riff are all super tasteful. The breakdown doesn't really do too much for me, it's the typical super heavy chugs, I respect it but Spiritbox definitely could pull off more interesting breakdowns. The rhythm and cadence of the chorus is pretty fun though, I would say it's my favourite part of the song. "Innocence is a game that I have lost" is also a hard-as-fuck line.
The Void came out a whole seven months before the EP itself, before it was even announced. I remember thinking it was decent then, but it's wild how different the song feels now with the context of the EP. Seeing all the originally vague thematics now given context, all the previously random dots now connected to the other songs, has made The Void a much better song somehow. By itself, I still have to commend the absolute vibes it has, whether it's the softness of the first pre-chorus, the sparkly breakdown or the grand half-time final chorus, it's just an unbelievably good time.
Ultraviolet is one that took a bit to grow on me, but I have been completely won over by the vocal melodies and overall emotion of it all. Spiritbox seems to have a knack for closers, and Ultraviolet definitely has that emotional touch to it that makes it such a beautiful way to end the EP. The chorus is sublime, the atmosphere is crystal clear and so colourful, and the narrative is tied up so nicely. It's just the kind of song that was born to be a closing track, it has that aura and weight to it.
The Fear of Fear is not only a succinct success of their newest sounds to offer, it is a thematic work of art and a diverse soundscape that I love to get lost in. Despite the spectrum of heaviness to softness, there are no jarring transitions or jumps, and I think it says a lot about how mindful they are when designing a musical experience like this. Concept albums are something I'm fond of, and even more so when it is sonically complemented, and this EP does that perfectly. It was so cool to see the repeating motifs pop up in other songs and tie it all together, in that mysterious way that Spiritbox does.
I'm so glad Spiritbox is taking their time with their music and not feeling pressured to work on a sophomore album. The Rotoscope EP and now this EP have both been amazing and only because they let themselves have time to experiment and evolve their sound after Eternal Blue. Even as I continue hoping for a new album in time to come, I wouldn't want them to rush anything. As for this EP, they definitely killed it, one of the best releases in the entire year.
Rating: 10/10