Tag: Metalcore

My New Infatuation

I started noticing Fit for a King around the time I knew I was going to quit the old band. They had just put out Slave to Nothing and the scene was buzzing with how intensely assaulting it sounded yet sprinkled in Christian struggles, or failure, with addiction to drugs and alcohol. Songs like “A Greater Sense of Self” connected with internal strife yet awakes the primal side that makes you bounce, scream the words, and lose your shit. I got lost into its world. It’s the kind of stuff you tattoo on your arm. Waiting for their next record has been a daily ritual of checking their Facebook for updates and studio clips. The waiting has finally ended with Deathgrip, due October 7th.

“Pissed Off” and their album takes on terrorism, genocide, general death. Fit for a King were in Germany last year when ISIS attacked, which was just one of many recently. This first single has the kind of slinky grooves and breakdowns that satisfies the wait for new FFAK. Nick Sampson produced the record and carved out nice spacing for all the instruments, especially the bass. It’s clearly heard in metallic up-tempo rhythms and chuggasaurus verses and choruses. The final breakdown is reminiscent of “Warpath” from Creation/Destruction with its long hoovering guttural growl and slow show no mercy chugs. Most of the album promises to sound like that record.

Deathgrip, with all its hype, feels like it could be the best Fit for a King record yet, maybe ever. Everything you could want aesthetically and musically is there. Great fucking album cover I want on my body. The videos look amazing for their teasers. I can’t wait for their music videos, which I never thought I would say about any band in 2016. The themes of death and real life terrorism really intrigue me and broadens the audience for this band. The Christian edge or label on them is completely irrelevant. FFAK offers music with substance, and internal and external struggle. There is value in the lyrics and feel of the music, but you can easily just throw down to the heavy parts at a show. I can’t wait to see them live in October.

Old Vibrations

It’s good timing for A Day To Remember’s next record. Summer has started and there’s space for someone to make an everlasting impression. Each summer there’s always a record we can look back on years later and define that summer by. Dr. Dre and The Chronic in 1992. Daft Punk’s Random Access Memories in 2013. Name your own summer records. ADTR have an opportunity to forever etch their names into summer. The album title track “Bad Vibrations” opens the new album and brings the intensity fans of old can reminisce in. Early breakdowns and catchy angry verses to feast on. It’s a smart move to announce a new album with a uniquely ADTR song to get everyone excited. Vocalist Jeremy McKinnon utilizes more screaming and half singing than cleaning singing. ADTR’s last few albums have slowly moved away from that style and focused on poppier verses and chorus. It’s not a sign a this new record will return an overwhelming restoration of hardcore centric vocals however “Bad Vibrations” feeds the dogs. New record drops August 19th.