Album: Invent Animate - Heavener [2023]

Invent Animate has been one of the most innovative modern metal bands in recent memory, and their fourth full-length album has been a highly anticipated release from not just their fans, but the metalcore scene as well. They've been consistently releasing great music and reaching new heights with their releases, especially with the amazing three-song EP The Sun Sleeps, As If It Never Was back in 2021. Heavener represents their most recent collection of bangers, and a coordinated effort of the most refined version of their sound.

Their flavour of metalcore is strongly defined by their unique blend of heavy and heavenly. Combining djent and thall influenced riffs with reverb-drenched and elegant guitar leads, beautiful clean vocals and raw screams, and oscillating between soft, sombre moments and relentless, intense ones. Their ability to weave emotion into their music is unparalleled, telling such powerful narratives through the melodies, composition and lyricism. They are far from generic in one of the best ways possible, and this record is only further proof of that.

The singles were extremely promising, including the initial Shade Astray which released outside of the album cycle. Between the relentless heaviness of Immolation of Night, and the emotional rawness of Elysium and Without a Whisper, they all happen to be some of the best tracks on the record. Despite that, the non-singles are also extremely formidable and pack a punch. I do have to admit though, they took a long time to stick, and it might be an inherent part of their genre and style, but the songs did blur together a bit, especially with those that lean closer to the traditional metalcore structure.

I superbly enjoy the riffwork on this album. It was one of the things that drew me to Invent Animate in the first place, with the riff on The Sun Sleeps being one of my favourite riffs of all time. There are definitely plenty of those super technical melodic riffs here, albeit none stand out as starkly as, for example, that one Cloud Cascade riff off of Greyview. I do kind of appreciate it though, toning down the technicality in favour of melodic and emotional capacity. I've also come to enjoy Marcus' vocals and his writing much more in this record. I've found myself hooked onto a lot more songs, whereas with Greyview I only really kept a good impression of Fireside's chorus.

I think they've managed to figure out the core of their sound with this record, and whether it's due to the aftermath of the pandemic is irrelevant. Heavener is their best work yet, and Invent Animate have proven themselves to be a remarkable force in modern metal like no other. My favourite thing about Heavener is how much of a vibe it is, I could simply get lost in the fourty-six minutes of pure heaven. It is a beautiful listening experience, and a potent degree of emotional, especially once you dig into the lyricism. One of the best releases of the year, for sure.

Rating: 9/10

Tracklist:

1. Absence Persistent

2. Shade Astray

3. Labyrinthine

4. Without a Whisper

5. False Meridian

6. Reverie

7. Immolation of Night

8. Purity Weeps

9. Void Surfacing

10. Emberglow

11. Elysium

Lyric Of The Week 65: Counterfeit Shrines

"In pursuit of god erase the image of his face."

Eidola - Counterfeit Shrines, from the album The Architect

Song: Secret Band - Moon [LP2, 2019]

Legendary post-hardcore outfit and swancore pioneers Dance Gavin Dance have a secret band, aptly named Secret Band. Comprising of all members but the clean vocalist, Secret Band takes on the heaviest and weirdest aspects of every member.

I love Dance Gavin Dance, I think it's pretty evident, and I was pretty excited when I first heard of their subgroup project. For some reason or other though, I never really got to listening to any of the records, but for some reason managed to catch a good listen of Moon.

Moon alone outdoes the entire Dance Gavin Dance discography in heaviness. With Jon as the sole vocalist, the entire project is dedicated to screaming and a brutal instrumentation to complement that. Without the need for pop sensibilities, every other member also gets the chance to dive deeper into their musical absurdity that defined most of their main project.

Moon starts off with an odd time signature and an oddly fun layered riff and some good chugs, before Jon comes in and starts his iconic screaming of weird lyrics. Throughout the first verse, we get everything from Jon straight up laughing, a little drum solo moment from Matt, and even some pick scraping which is not something I ever expected from Will. There's a good amount of dissonance thrown in as well, which is always fun and heavy.

The breakdown is one of my favourite moments of this song. There's something visceral and raw about Jon's scream tone here, especially with how high it gets and how clear it is against the spaces of the breakdown. The little funky riff against the syncopated drum beat is groovy, and then they switch to constant double kicks and a full sonic assault for a hot second before finally going back to the verse.

The final minute and a half of the track has this ominous intensity to it, powered by the relentlessly building instrumentation and sinister-sounding lyrics, as well as the echoing evil laughter afterwards as the song fades out. The lyricism about the moon is both absurd and dramatic, with sentiments of the moon being some kind of god and to be worshipped, and all sounding like some sort of fever dream. It seems on brand for Jon Mess though, although it's the first time I've seen one connected lyrical concept be addressed for a whole song, when he usually just throws a lot of random absurd lines together for a Dance Gavin Dance song. It's surprisingly cohesive for the crazy man, and honestly refreshing to hear his ramblings this way.

Secret Band is definitely worth checking out for any fans of Dance Gavin Dance, especially if you enjoy weird and heavy. I have yet to get to the rest of their discography but I'm confident it's full of good stuff. For now, I'm happy to say that Moon is a banger.

Rating: 4/5

Album: Make Them Suffer - How To Survive A Funeral [2020]

After falling in love with Contraband, I wanted to get a proper taste of Make Them Suffer, and the highly praised album How To Survive A Funeral was the first one I went for. It was recent so I could expect it to be a similar standard to Contraband, and the artwork deeply intrigued me, and I was looking forward to seeing if Make Them Suffer lived up to their fame in the metalcore scene.

Spoiler alert: they did. These ten songs echoed a very similar quality of sound that was extremely well polished and equally brutal and emotional, with a range so wide that post-hardcore and deathcore ended up on the same tracklist. Their reputed heaviness was undeniably showcased, whilst expanding on their melodic capabilities.

Make Them Suffer is very well defined by two or three aspects: Sean's vocals, Nick's guitarwork and to a certain degree, the female vocalist/keyboardist. Throughout this record, these three facets consistently shape every detail of the songs. I've come to understand why Sean is considered one of the best vocalists in modern metal, as it is one of the most robust harsh vocals I've ever heard. Nick's riffs are super unique, and after consuming more of their discography I've picked up on this subtle quality about his guitarwork that, I can't quite explain, but can understand well enough that I can recognize his riffs from a mile away. There's something so unique about his riffwork that sets him far apart from any other in the metalcore scene. As for the last aspect, I think the contrast in elements make for a very distinct sound, especially with the choruses and calm sections where it's most prominent, but I wouldn't go as far as to say it's the most outstanding thing about this record.

Their brutality is pristine but I find myself amazed by how raw they get with some of these tracks, and how phenomenal the writing can get at times. Sure, a decent chunk of it is just unadulterated anger, but some of the moments in the title track and The Attendant get quite emotional and intense. It definitely caught me by surprise the first time I heard them, but I've grown to like them the most out of all the songs.

How To Survive A Funeral is definitely a solid piece of work, and possibly their best work at the time, but with retrospect on my side, it's clear they're only getting better, and this record is just another step up to the next one. Personally, I've been absolutely in love with every release after How To Survive A Funeral, so I've not adored this record as much as I could've, but I can confidently say that this record is still a banger and worth checking out for someone getting into modern metal.

Rating: 7/10

Tracklist:

1. Step One

2. Falling Ashes

3. Bones

4. Drown With Me

5. Erase Me

6. Soul Decay

7. Fake Your Own Death

8. How To Survive A Funeral

9. The Attendant

10. That's Just Life

Song: Bring Me The Horizon - Pray For Plagues [Count Your Blessings, 2006]

Bring Me The Horizon's deathcore era is such a unique thing to look back on, whether it's the complete surprise of how heavy they used to be or the long-time elitist hate of them no longer being "heavy" compared to this. A good chunk of the metal scene consider Count Your Blessings a deathcore classic, and for what it's worth, it's Pray For Plagues only deathcore classic so far that I've actually grown to like, which is a feat to be quite honest.

I used to be very unimpressed by this song because I found the lyrical content super unappealing, but I've grown to accept that it's just a reflection of the kind of writing they made when they were quite literally teenagers. Add the fact that the band itself has more or less set this era of their musical career aside, repeatedly mentioned that the lyrics don't mean anything and that they don't like playing it, I think it's respectable that they know it didn't really age the best and it's not something to keep holding on to. Setting that aside, it's quite an impressive deathcore song. Of course, it took a long time to grow on me, especially with the production quality, but the roughness of it eventually became a part of the listening experience, much like grindcore and older death metal.

The thing I've come to enjoy the most about this song is the guitarwork. Call me biased, but I am a guitarist first (for now), and learning this song has made me appreciate the writing in this era of the band. Some of the riffs on this track are the best of their entire discography, and for the average modern metal guitarist, actually challenging and interesting. As much as I love Bring Me The Horizon's current day music, it's not as fun to play on guitar. The section after the first breakdown has a super fun riff that I absolutely love playing, the pinch harmonics are fun to pull off and the short sweep picking section felt super cool to learn.

Nevertheless, the rest of the song is great too. Hearing such a different texture of Oli's voice is so cool, even if I'm glad he doesn't do this anymore since it screwed up his vocal cords. The drumming hits all deathcore standards and impressive to some extent, even if that kick drum sound is kinda weird. It really goes to show how much they've evolved as a band, from a young group of boys making music as edgy as possible, to now when their music output is super refined and constantly pushing the boundaries. What's even cooler is that you can clearly see their talent, skill and effort has always been a core part of their band, no matter what they were writing. Count Your Blessings may not be a record that I put on often, if at all, but it is an important piece of their band's history, with Pray For Plagues as the best showcase of this era.

Rating: 3.5/5

Lyric Of The Week 64: Guiltless

"No use getting angry at the way that you're wired."

dodie - Guiltless, from the album Build A Problem

Album: 100 gecs - 10,000 gecs [2023]

Hyperpop stars of the 2019 and onwards hyperpop explosion, 100 gecs is finally back with their sophomore record, and it is absolutely not a slump. Two artist-producers who had the option of riding the same wave that they made with 1000 gecs instead chose to brew up 10 new songs that feature a lot more genre influences and sounds than their signature hyperpop flavour.

The change in sound between 1000 gecs and 10,000 gecs is one that I so greatly appreciate. Losing some of the heavily processed vocals, throwing in some distorted guitar riffs, embracing the meme culture and absurdity of their brand in full force, finding a wider range of dynamic electronic sounds, and treading in new sonic waters. Each song on this record more or less offers something unique for the listener, and the record as a whole has transcended past their hyperpop beginnings.

I think the persistent and most appealing characteristic about 100 gecs that makes this record as good or even better than their debut is their commitment to having fun. Everything that is dumb and stupid is intentional, absurdity is encouraged and fun is mandatory. In the aftermath of the hyperpop frenzy dying off, it's great that the duo weren't pressured into any expectations of their sound. Just about every track is stellar, and only because they had as much freedom to screw around with it as they did.

A lot more sonic ground gets covered in these ten tracks than last time. There's an obvious rock influence in tracks like Dumbest Girl Alive, Hollywood Baby and Billy Knows Jamie, especially with that last cut that goes from rap rock to full-blown death metal, without losing any of their sillyness. electronic explorations are super fun, now no longer conforming to their hyperpop sound. One Million Dollars has a seemingly experimental yet pretty fleshed out variety of electronic styles, 757 has some colourful synths lining the entire track, and the assortment of samples throughout the record is memefully tasteful. Of their breakout hyperpop sound, mememe is the closest to it, but even it manages to revise the sound with a rawer output.

100 gecs and their unapologetical nature is so rare to see in this day and age of music. No other name in the industry is simultaneously so talented yet so blatantly silly and deranged with their art, and it results in this mad scientist-like creativity that echoes both pure chaos and undeniable dedication. I don't even know where the ska came from, but it is needless to say that the duo continue to uphold their commitment to making fun music. One last shoutout to Frog On The Floor for being a top-tier meme song, and 10,000 gecs is officially their best work yet.

Rating: 8/10

Tracklist:

1. Dumbest Girl Alive

2. 757

3. Hollywood Baby

4. Frog On The Floor

5. Doritos & Fritos

6. Billy Knows Jamie

7. One Million Dollars

8. The Most Wanted Person In The United States

9. I Got My Tooth Removed

10. mememe

Song: Bring Me The Horizon - Fuck (feat. Josh Franceschi) [There is a Hell, 2010]

Fuck is objectively one of the funniest song titles to ever exist, even more so in Bring Me The Horizon's discography, but that's not the (sole) reason I'm talking about it. Between Alligator Blood and Blacklist, they happen to be some of my overall favourites from the record, and a pretty deep cut all things considered. There is a Hell is arguably one of their least talked about records, but it was quite a pivotal record for them, it's just that they pivoted a lot.

Fuck strays a bit from the sombre electro-symphonic flavour of the whole record, and is one of the relatively heavier tracks on the tracklist. The whole first half is relentless in pacing and super energetic, before shifting to a more anthemic and open clean chorus-like refrain to end off the song. Singing about fucking is kinda funny, but they somehow manage to contextualize it well enough where it doesn't really come off as a funny song. Even though I stifle a laugh every time I read the words "let's fuck till the sun comes up", the rest of the song is surprisingly good teenage emo romance-esque stuff.

My favourite moment is the pseudo-breakdown of this song. The whole verse going into the "flatline" part is so strong, and forever burned into my memory. I just love how intense the buildup is, especially with the drumwork, and Oli's growls are just superb. The breakdown riff itself is simple but it feels so uniquely Bring Me The Horizon, and that pinch harmonic right before the drop is tasteful. The literal flatline sound sample at the end of the breakdown is cheeky, but I do love it.

A lot of the riffs in this song share a lot of similarities with the rest of the record that really defined this era of Bring Me The Horizon. Fast-paced riffing, a very unique tone combined with a distinct bend-heavy playing, scarce use of palm-muted notes and very symphonic-accommodating rhythm guitar parts. Oli's vocal tone was super gritty and unique to this record, especially in this song, and the cleans of Josh Franceschi of You Me At Six contrasted so beautifully with it in this song. The whole second half of this song switches up so nicely and surprisingly, and it closes out the whole track elegantly.

Fuck is great because the song title seems cheeky and fun but in actuality, the song itself is a brutal punch followed by an amazing embrace of sound. Everytime There is a Hell comes up, I will never fail to think of Fuck, because it really is just a great song under the guise of a funny title. Fuck fucks.

Rating: 3.5/5

Lyric Of The Week 63: Rot In Pieces

"Regret never sufficed like a bullet in between the eyes."

Alpha Wolf - Rot In Pieces, from the album A Quiet Place to Die

Album: brakence - hypochondriac [2022]

I caught wind of this brakence album scrolling through social media, and the only reason I knew brakence was from the one song I knew from him, sunder, which I randomly added to my library a long time ago. It piqued my interest because there were so many people saying how great the album was, and the little snippet I heard was unlike what I expected of him.

I was definitely surprised spinning hypochondriac for the first time, but whether it was a pleasant surprise was very up in the air for a long while. It's quite easy to categorise hypochondriac under glitch pop and hyperpop, and for what it's worth, that's definitely its home territory, but there's a wide array of subtle influences that sets this record apart in a way that intrigues me deeply. Through thirteen songs and almost an hour of runtime, he presents a robust selection of tracks with a diverse range of creative choices that are mostly hits and occasionally a miss.

The record starts out pretty standard in sound for a hyperpop record, but entering the middle few we see some math rock and screamo influences start to seep in. As it's a hyperpop record, it's production heavy by intrinsic nature, but even by hyperpop standards I feel this one goes a bit above and beyond. This record is super dense in production effort and electronic stylings, with a lot of complex and constantly changing soundscapes. It's not neat, but I do believe the intention is to be some degree of chaotic. Layers upon layers of electronics and synthwork, vocal processing and glitchy beats, coupled with surprisingly catchy lines and unorthodox dynamics, hypochondriac is full of interesting moments if you can get past the oddities.

There's a tasteful variety of textures throughout this record that makes it really enjoyable and fresh, and gives listeners much to dive into. I love how he constantly switches between digital electronics and instruments, trying to incorporate a blend of sounds to fit the genre influences. There are plenty of math rock-esque guitar riffs and melodies scattered throughout the record, occasionally the beats get replaced for acoustic drum parts, his clean and harsh vocals will sometimes come in instead of heavily processed vocals. All of this sell the idea of an alt-influenced hyperpop blend, which I feel brakence hit the mark on with this record.

For a self-described glitch pop artist, he's definitely pushing the glitch part to overdrive. Some of the glitch parts are reminiscent of edIT, and his natural voice reminds me of EDEN and Jeremy Zucker as well as some of his electronic production work. I am especially a sucker for how math rock-esque all the guitar parts are, whether it's the riffs under the verses of bugging! or 5g reminiscent of Ichika Nito, or sections like the ending of deepfake that lean closer to the styles of bands like covet and Chon.

After listening to this record for a while, I've grown to appreciate it and like it a bit. It's a very stimulating record, if you're one who likes full and loud soundscapes, complex layers and multitudes of textures, hypochondriac might be your cup of tea. It's definitely not a record for everyone, but anyone who enjoys hyperpop should definitely give this a listen, and if you enjoy math rock, hard rock or metal, chances are, this record might be to your liking as well.

Rating: 7/10

Tracklist:

1. bugging!

2. caffeine

3. venus fly trap

4. teeth

5. intellectual greed

6. 5g

7. preparation exercise no. 7 (trembling)

8. cbd

9. stung

10. argyle

11. deepfake

12. introvert

13. hypochondriac

Song: Bring Me The Horizon - LosT [2023]

More than two years after POST HUMAN: SURVIVAL HORROR, the wait is over. Bring Me The Horizon has finally announced the existence of PH2, and with it comes a new single that Oli Sykes himself says has realised his vision of what "future emo" sounds like. I gotta say, he might be absolutely right on this one.

DiE4u and sTraNgeRs both had a very fun modern emo sound still rooted in their diverse Bring Me The Horizon sound, but LosT absolutely blew me away with the unique production work and musical style that screams future emo like no other. Drawing influences from hyperpop, glitch music and emo, and leaving their own personal touch on it, LosT has become one of their most fun songs in their discography.

From the very start, the "future" in "future emo" is made very clear with a synth melody that also shows up a lot in the rest of the song. They combine that with strong emo rock elements to build the intro until the verse. The verses are highly electronic, but they do have their fun with it, throwing in subtle vocal effects and sound effects throughout. The soundscape and production of Bring Me The Horizon has always been astounding, but with the scope of a hyperpop-infused emo rock sound, they've really gone above and beyond with this one.

The chorus, like most of Bring Me The Horizon's discography, is undoubtedly catchy and strong. Coupled with the drums coming in, it just makes for an energetic and bouncy section that contrasts well with the verses. People have made comparisons to My Chemical Romance and I honestly don't see it, but I'm glad to know they got the "emo" part on lockdown too. It amazes me too, that with all the genre-blending they-ve been doing in the past few years, it seems that they've only managed to become even more accessible and pop-sensible amidst it all.

I have to be honest and say that I wouldn't mind a bit more screaming, but we still get a decent tasting with the end of the second chorus and some of the breakdown. I'm not sure what the prospects are for screaming on PH2, especially since the band is hoping to make the records more distinct by leaving the heavy stuff to one of the later records, but I do hope that they cross into some screamo territory on this upcoming future emo record.

When it comes to the "future emo" sound, the breakdown sealed the deal for me. I truthfully was not expecting glitchy easycore, and I was so ecstatic hearing it for the first time that I could barely stay in my chair. They've managed to find such a refreshing way to execute breakdowns with electronic elements, even electronicore of the 2010s didn't come close to this. I have to give props to the producers that worked alongside them to spice up simple chugs to this hyperpop insanity breakdown, including the build up to it. The sonic textures scratch all the itches in my brain, especially as someone who grew up with EDM and fell in love with metal after. The processed vocal callout, overlaying chopped vocals on the chugs, the gang vocal "woah"s in the post-breakdown, that one downbend note in the riff, everything about this breakdown makes me so happy.

The song ends in a very reasonable way and there's nothing else amazing to mention, but it wraps up the whole track nicely. I really do think they hit the mark with this track, because the previous two singles, albeit pretty good tracks, didn't make future emo click for me as much as this did. The moment I heard this song, it all made sense, what their vision for future emo really was and what it sounded like. It's neverendingly awesome to continue to see this band push boundaries and fearlessly redefine their music, constantly excelling no matter what territory they're in. I was excited enough on the wait for PH1, but PH2 may just take the title of my most anticipated record of this year, which will be a feat against the likes of Sleep Token's Take Me Back To Eden and Fall Out Boy's So Much (For) Stardust. LosT might just usher in their newest collection of best songs to date, we shall wait and see.

Rating: 4/5

Lyric Of The Week 62: my tears ricochet

"And I can go anywhere I want, anywhere I want, just not home."

Taylor Swift - my tears ricochet, from the album folklore

Album: ILLENIUM - ILLENIUM [2023]

I have always enjoyed ILLENIUM's work, especially some of his biggest hits in the pop industry like Feel Good and Good Things Fall Apart, so I was more than happy to await his self-titled and spin it on arrival. I was not ready to be so blown away by this selection of works, and be so absolutely captivated by this new rendition of sounds from the electronic artist.

ILLENIUM started out as a very pop-adjacent artist boasting a very distinct future bass sound that outlined his rise in popularity, but as early as 2020, we saw him dip his toes in more alternative and intense genre fusions, first notably with his collaborative single Feel Something, working with Excision and I Prevail of dubstep/bass music and metalcore fame respectively. Let me just say, my jaw dropped a bit when I saw the guest list for the self-titled. It is such a diverse range of artists, covering the entire spectrum from pop to metalcore: established popstars like MAX and Skylar Grey, new era pop phenomenons like JVKE and Teddy Swims, modern punk rock-influenced pop names like jxdn and American Teeth (who's 2020 single Gemini I quite enjoyed), famous pop punkers Avril Lavigne, Travis Barker and All Time Low, or beastly metalcore bands Spiritbox and Motionless In White, as well as long-time collaborator Said The Sky.

I was more than excited to get through the record. I have always enjoyed his euphoric and massive future bass sound design, and EDM was my first love, but seeing the possibilities in front of me with all the genre blending, I could not be more excited. Seeing Shivering on the tracklist meant that anything that heavy was fair game, and everything in between was expected.

Sixteen tracks is a lot, but I think it quite expressively covers his entire bandwidth as a producer. The pop-leaning tracks are some of his best works yet, lending a hand of some of the biggest rising names in the industry to create ecstatic tunes with great moments and catchy lyrics, with a consistency that is practically unheard of. The more alternative tracks are super fun, blending the collaborator's sound very intensely into the soundscape and leaning into their expertise. Eyes Wide Shut very strongly features Travis Barker's iconic drumming style and Avril's pop punk vocals, Shivering and Nothing Ever After sees Courtney and Chris getting to throw full-blown screams on an otherwise pop-centric mainstream record, which is a great step for metalcore. Including Back To You, it's great to see that ILLENIUM's collaborations with bands actually involve the whole band, rather than just lending the vocalist. His solo tracks also astound me sonically, whether it be the vibrant and enthralling soundscapes of Starfall or the wonderful tribute remixes of Bring Me The Horizon's Drown and Rihanna's Stay, the former of which gave me goosebumps the moment I heard the familiar melody on my first listen.

I think the most amazing thing about ILLENIUM's self-titled record is how consistently pristine it is, despite how diverse the sounds are. Every song has been refined to near perfection, conscious of blend of genres and appealing to many expectations whilst remaining unique and fun. And at its core, it's undeniably ILLENIUM. His touch is evident in every song, even when the focus is on the collaborator. It's great that he's transcended past the skill ceiling of his earlier works by going above and beyond in collaboration choices and exploring new electronic territory, it ultimately makes this new record such a refreshing experience compared to his previous records that would get a bit repetitive partway through. Definitely his best record yet, and dare I say that if he keeps going in the right direction with the alternative influences, he will only reach new heights.

Rating: 9/10

Tracklist:

1. Starfall

2. All That Really Matters (feat. Teddy Swims)

3. Worst Day (feat. MAX)

4. From The Ashes (feat. Skylar Grey)

5. Lifeline (feat. jxdn)

6. Eyes Wide Shut (feat. Avril Lavigne and Travis Barker of blink-182)

7. Shivering (feat. Spiritbox)

8. You Were Right (with Wooli and feat. Grabbitz)
9. Insanity (feat. American Teeth)

10. Drwn

11. Other Side (with Said The Sky and feat. Vera Blue)

12. I Want You 2 (Stay)

13. With All My Heart (feat. JVKE)

14. Back To You (feat. All Time Low)

15. Nothing Ever After (feat. Motionless In White)

16. Luv Me A Little (feat. Nina Nesbitt)

(Tags that I couldn't add due to an apparent tag limit I've never reached before: Nina Nesbitt, EDM,Future Bass,Trance,Dubstep,Melodic Dubstep,Pop Punk,Electronic Rock,Pop,Pop-Rock,Hard Rock,Metalcore,Alternative Rock,Psy-Trance)

Song: My Chemical Romance - The Foundations of Decay [2022]

The return of legendary emo rock band My Chemical Romance was not something I expected or was prepared for in 2022, but they returned with a surprising six-minute epic, reminiscent of their old sound but with a few new touches.

Compared to some of their best hits, this song is arguably calmer, mostly in the verses. They take on a softer soundscape familiar to Disenchanted and I Don't Love You, whereas the chorus has their usual anthemic energy. The use of synths and warbly effects at the start is definitely something new to them, but I appreciate how they're building an atmosphere distinct from their previous works. The vocals being slightly drenched in reverb is a cool texture to have, and I just have to say that Gerard's vocals are still as perfect as ever.

The chorus has their usual open, powerful sound, although it is quite a different sound from their usual choruses. It strays from their more energetic pop punk-esque choruses of Welcome to the Black Parade and I'm Not Okay (I Promise), and takes on a more dramatic texture with constant bass drums and echoey vocals. The second verse and chorus don't feature too much variation, but I do enjoy the lyrical heaviness throughout.

What I didn't expect to see in a My Chemical Romance song is a breakdown. Sure, it's not that heavy compared to just about all of modern metal, but it's still a breakdown nonetheless. It's definitely unique whether you like it or not, and I personally like it so that's a bonus for me. Gerard is doing screams too, which is something that's been largely missing from their discography since their first two albums (save for his one insane vocal feature on an Ibaraki track).

It may not be the strongest cut from them compared to the rest of their critically acclaimed discography, but it is a super strong return to mainstream attention, with a refurbished sound that fits adjacent to the post-punk revival movement. Like many other notable bands in this scene, it's wild for me to see them release music in current day, so I could not be more happy about this. Whether they're back in full force and planning to release a new record is still completely up in the air, but one good song is better than nothing.

Rating: 3.5/5

EP: Lorna Shore - ...And I Return To Nothingness EP [2021]

It's honestly a bit wild coming back to the EP that blew Lorna Shore up, almost two years after it came out. I remember how big of a wave To the Hellfire made, not just in the deathcore community, but in the modern metal scene and even the YouTube reactor space. A lot of the attention was thanks to social media influence like tiktoks and reaction videos, but there's no denying that Lorna Shore deserved every little bit of it.

They might not have been pioneers of their orchestral-influenced blackened deathcore (and sometimes melodeath) sound, but they definitely made it their own and made a name for themselves with this short EP. Even though To the Hellfire did the heavy lifting in getting people talking about them, I think the other two tracks rounded out their new sound very well.

To the Hellfire first, their top song to date and one of the biggest metal highlights of 2021. The acoustic intro is underrated but I feel like it was actually quite important in making the experience slightly more smooth for new listeners, especially non-metalheads. Quickly though, they get into the core part of their sound, with tremolo picking, fast double-kick drumming and Will's gnarly vocals. For the most part, this song is relentless in brutal delivery, with a handful of great moments to boot. The orchestral elements are quite subtle in this song compared to the other two but it still gets the job done. The breakdowns are super impactful, making great use of spacing and contrast to maximise heaviness. The solo is pretty impressive, not lacking in technicality and very interesting. And of course, the final breakdown that went crazy over the internet, was honestly a really well crafted moment. The breakdown leading into it is epic enough, switching up a few things to make it sound even heavier (and that "fucking" sounds pissed), before throwing in Will's signature snarls and then the lowest-and-slowest breakdown of them all.

Of the Abyss is a different change of pace, most notably with the choir elements. It manages to maintain most of the heaviness of To the Hellfire, but definitely presents itself as a much more melodic track. I think this track also showcases more of their capabilities in designing soundscapes, both in brutality and in beauty. The guitar parts take on a bit more riffiness in this song and don't make use of their tremolo style as much, which gives it a bit more weight here. Will's vocal range in this song is also much, much wider, and is one of the reasons I like this more than To the Hellfire. I like that he has more space to try out different vocal techniques here than in the other tracks. The solo is stellar as well, arguably better than the one in To the Hellfire, and the breakdown right after is simply nasty. I love how it loses all traces of melody to give the brutality the spotlight, and Will just lays down some absolutely monstrous vocals.

The title track is their (relatively) softest track, cranking the symphonic and melodic elements to maximum. They showcase their ability to make massive and epic soundscapes the best here, especially with the chorus, intro and outro. The choice to not have a breakdown is a commendable one, and I personally think it gives this song much more colour to not have a sudden jarring breakdown moment. It's great to see much more melody persisting throughout the track, and the drummer making use of a bit more dynamics than just the usual double kick blast beats. The spaciousness in the verses and bridges is also quite refreshing to hear.

This three-song EP quite concisely represented the range of their new sound, fronted by a new vocalist who would go on to bring the band to new heights. Despite its short runtime, it managed to showcase their revolutionising of the deathcore sound with their unique symphonic blackened version, leaving in it's wake one of 2021's biggest modern metal moments and the sharpest rise of any metal band in current day social media. Definitely one to go into the history books.

Rating: 8/10

Tracklist:

1. To the Hellfire
2. Of the Abyss
3. ...And I Return to Nothingness

Lyric Of The Week 61: ENLIGHTENMENT(?)

"Spill divine alibis as we drink them in."

While She Sleeps - ENLIGHTENMENT(?), from the album SLEEPS SOCIETY

Song: Trophy Eyes - Figure Eight [2020]

I remember finding this off of ARTV's top 50 songs of 2020, and at first it was just a song that sounded nice, quickly buried by other liked songs. Then, for whatever reason, I played it again a few weeks later and it suddenly clicked for me how good this song was.

Figure Eight has this carefree and exuberant youthfulness to it that is rare to find in this potent of a degree, despite it being a core theme of the pop punk genre. There's this level of half-cynical cheerfulness they manage to achieve with a creative selection of musical elements, alongside what can only be genuine and passionate singing that really sells the whole thing.

The moment the song starts, it's like a shot of endorphins. The spacious group vocal chanting "woah", the soft lead line, the ambient synth, the bouncy drumming, it just crafts this happy soundscape that sets the tone for the rest of the song, especially as reoccurring elements in the chorus.

There's just something about his vocal tone that fits perfectly with what they're going for, as well as his delivery. It has this youthful essence with a tinge of nostalgia, equally energetic and emotional. His vocal performance throughout really does paint the picture of long-time friends reminiscing about old times and sparks trying to fly, at least to me.

The chorus is nigh perfect. It's the best of this cheerful sound they're going for all in one place, with most of whatever was going on in the intro, but with a brilliant hook on top. I love how he lets his enunciation give way to his cadence and rhythm to let the emotion shine through as brightly as possible, because it is a pop punk song after all.

I love how they approach the second chorus, with that gang vocal acapella version in front. The sparkly sound effects and soft guitar lead at the back just sell the atmosphere. It feels like those nights when you're young and carefree and all life was about was having fun with your friends. It has all the makings of a nostalgia anthem, the kind people chant along to en masse.

The saxophone solo is simply gorgeous. It's not the kind of fancy show-off solo, but rather a much more tasteful and emotional one that does this song justice. It's not overtly technical, but it is impressive to hear the amount musicality in it, and how well it goes with the rest of the song.

Figure Eight is one of the happiest songs I've ever heard in my life. Not only that, it feels genuine and unforced, like how some songs get real dramatic about it and never acknowledge the sad stuff, this song doesn't do that. It manages to be so many things in just three minutes: nostalgic, youthful, happy, bittersweet, and anthemic. And most important of all, it's captured my heart.

Rating: 4.5/5

Album: Fall Out Boy - So Much (For) Stardust [2023]

After five years, in the aftermath of the global pandemic, and in the midst of the modern post-punk revival, Fall Out Boy is one of the most recent big names to rise from the ashes after a long hiatus. So Much (For) Stardust is their eighth studio album, and a decently long time coming, with the same period of a hiatus as the first time they did it between Folie à Deux and Save Rock And Roll.

The moment I knew they were starting another album cycle, I was more than excited. I caught Love From The Other Side the hour it dropped, and it only got me more excited. Fall Out Boy has been a strong contender in being the next rock-turned-pop sellout band, especially with the less than satisfactory work on MANIA, but Love From The Other Side saw a lot of their older sound, and more importantly, their stronger writing back in full force, albeit modernised. Heartbreak Feels So Good as the second single, even though not the most impressive, at least let me know that we weren't looking at a lone hit single record type of deal, so I eagerly awaited March 24th.

I wanted to listen to this record a considerable amount before I decided what to write on it, because I didn't want to jump to conclusions with a band that has consistently made me rethink their work time and time again, and also because a lot of music that has come out since the pandemic has seen a noticeable change in sound, for better or for worse, and holding onto expectations of their previous sound has always been a bit misguided. I am quite happy to say, though, that after drilling every song into my ears, I do love this record to death.

It's hard to say that this record is a return to form, because it's not really, and I don't think they ever intended it to be either. So Much (For) Stardust is a brillant and striking development in their creative evolution, and the only true return to form here is how they brought back the unbridled and unstifled creativity that made some of their best albums. Fall Out Boy has always been a band that dared to think outside the boxes and blur the lines, and there are always some successes and failures that come along with that kind of experimentation, but they've always been such a strong creative force that could almost guarantee some ingenuity in whatever they do.

The thing I immediately noticed, and was super grateful for, was seeing the guitars and drums play a major part in the record once again. It was a disappointment to see both elements so ruthlessly sidelined in MANIA, despite their roots as a rock band and all, and I felt that there could've been better ways to go about a pop-leaning record without losing touch with half their band's art. Seeing both Joe and Andy get to play their instruments again, and in such a strong degree of expression as well, was heartwarming. It felt like they found their soul and sound after having lost it in the rush to stardom.

It's obvious that the record is influenced by the pandemic, I think it'd be weird if it didn't. I enjoy the themes of retrospection and cynicism, byproducts of the paradigm shifts in society, recovery and growth, and iconic to their band, themes of love as well. Despite that, they make a record that is quite well-rounded, not at risk of becoming dated in years to come, which is quite a feat.

I hate to compare records to records like this, but it has to be said that this feels like a spiritual successor to Folie à Deux in a way, just because there are so many parallels to be drawn between the two. The hiatus preceding them to begin, but also how it stands out from the rest of the discography in it's sound. Both were very instrumentally and creatively diverse, with edges of experimentation, distinctly contrasting from the rest of their discography. Both were worked on at length and carefully by the band to make songs that made use of a lot of new and untouched instruments and techniques. Both were controversial to a big extent, seeing a divide in their fanbase as hate came from fans wanting their older sound back and love came from those who understood and appreciated their creative endeavours. They both share use of orchestration and compositional work, spoken word interludes, diverse genre influences and songwriting unconventional to their existing discography. It even saw the same return of previously neglected elements of guitar and drums in the songwriting process, which is admittedly an odd thing to have happen twice.

There are so many things to love about this record. I loved seeing Pete's lyrical ability in such a strong position once again, alongside Patrick's stellar vocal work that comprised many of the record's quality lines and hooks. Some of my favourites include "What would you trade the pain for?" on Love From The Other Side, "So make no plans and none can be broken" on Fake Out, the bridge on So Good Right Now, the chorus of I Am My Own Muse and the entirety of the title track. The instrumentation has reached a peak to rival their pre-hiatus work, whether it's the piano intro to the record, the guitarwork on Hold Me Like a Grudge's post-chorus, the short guitar solo-ing on the final chorus of Heaven, Iowa, the orchestration on I Am My Own Muse, and the absolute compositional masterpiece on the title track, which just happens to boast the most refreshing and dynamic drumwork from Fall Out Boy in a while.

It is so unreal, and awesome at the same time, to see a band older than me, and all along regarded as a legendary band of its time, still around and releasing music to this day. The modernisation of their sound may be a controversial and critical one, but it is simply astonishing to see that their creative energy and force has never faded with time, and adapting to the music as music evolved. Beyond the brilliant songwriting and music itself, they are such an inspiration for musicians with the way they push boundaries of both the scene and their own, challenging themselves to make meaning with everything they do.

I think they've outdone themselves with this record. Fall Out Boy has always been the kind of band to walk the fine line between pretentious and genuine creativity and consistently end up on the right side, something they've fine tuned since the days where they didn't have enough time to refine their songs and had to heavily lean on the "first-thought, best-thought" mentality. So Much (For) Stardust has serious potential to claim the title of being their best record, and I have to let recency bias and the contrast of MANIA die down before I can confidently decide, but in the meantime, it is more than safe to say that this is a brilliant record from the fall out boys.

Rating: 9/10

Tracklist:

1. Love From The Other Side

2. Heartbreak Feels So Good

3. Hold Me Like a Grudge

4. Fake Out

5. Heaven, Iowa

6. So Good Right Now

7. The Pink Seashell (feat. Ethan Hawke)

8. I Am My Own Muse

9. Flu Game

10. Baby Annihilation

11. The Kintsugi Kid (Ten Years)

12. What a Time To Be Alive

13. So Much (For) Stardust

Lyric Of The Week 60: cold weather

"I didn’t miss the cold weather, I just missed you."

glass beach - cold weather, from the album the first glass beach album

Song: blessthefall - Hollow Bodies [Hollow Bodies, 2013]

The title track of metalcore band blessthefall's fourth album is better known to me as one of the first few 2010s metalcore songs I fell in love with, largely due to having seen Nik Nocturnal's cover of it.

First impressions are some of the strongest, and when I was just starting to get into metal, there was this period of time where I wasn't even fully aware that I liked metal. So when I went from I Prevail's Hurricane and Bring Me The Horizon's Drown to songs like Beartooth's The Line and, more relevantly, blessthefall's Hollow Bodies, it clicked and my mind was blown.

I love the intro/main riff of this song, there's this sound of 2010s metalcore that this riff hones in on almost perfectly (well, if you think about it, it's more like it defined the sound). I love the glitchy beats at the start coupled with the riff starting off a bit softer and muffled, so that when the verse starts, there's this brutal punchiness to it that complements the screams. The guitar tone is spot on as well.

The screams are super strong, and I think it was my favourite thing about this song when I first started listening to it. There's this visceral quality to it, especially with the higher notes, that made it sound so monstrous and powerful. Not to mention, the lyrics were also evil-sounding, which just added to the atmosphere. The buildup and callout going into the final breakdown are one of the most effective moments I've seen, and it is absolutely brutal.

The clean vocals are robust, and although this song is one where the cleans take a bit more of a backseat, he still does a great job with the chorus and verse lines. If you're looking for songs where he gets to shine, Hey Baby, Here's That Song You Wanted is a better pick.

The guitarwork is brilliant throughout this song, and it's grown on me a lot as I've improved as a guitar player, now being my favourite thing about this song. The use of tremolo sections, tapping parts, pinch harmonics and chugs are all so iconic to that era of metalcore and also executed beautifully in this song. It's also been super fun to learn and play this song too, and as one of the first few songs I learned and sort-of mastered on guitar, it definitely has sentimental value to boot.

Hollow Bodies is more or less a metalcore classic, save for those who grew up with 2000s metalcore and prefer bands like Avenged Sevenfold and Killswitch Engage. As for me, a metaphorical baby when it comes to listening to metal, my classics have been more or less sporadic, and most are modern classics to begin with, so Hollow Bodies is a rare exception that I'm glad to highlight here.

Rating: 4/5