Perhaps one of the most discussed newer bands to emerge on the Metal scene in the past decade has been Canada’s Spiritbox. Not appearing out of thin air, the project formed following Guitarist Mike Stringer and Vocalist Courtney LaPlante’s departure from Iwrestledabearonce. Iwrestledabearonce, a very much different act than Spiritbox, would soon dissolve in 2016, with Stringer and LaPlante ready to explore other musical endeavors of their own in Spritbox in 2017.
A fresh start for the two, they quickly showed audiences that Spiritbox was not Iwrestledabearonce, but something vastly different. Utilizing more ambiance, and darker tones with Spiritbox, LaPlante’s true essence emerged, and as a result, the new music captivated audiences. However, it was not an immediate rocket launch into stardom, because without additional musicians, Spiritbox was unable to perform live. Sticking to it and continuing to write exciting music, they soon formed a solid band (one which as of 2023 includes Zev Rosenberg on drums and Josh Gilbert on bass), and at last released their full-length album Eternal Blue in 2021 to universal acclaim. Moving forward, they put out three new songs in 2022 as the Rotoscope EP, but now in 2023 are set to take another step forward with their The Fear of Fear EP.
Set for release on November 3rd through Rise Records/Pale Chord, the EP consists of six songs, three of which were previously released singles; “The Void” “Jaded,” and most recently, “Cellar Door.” Trickling out these singles between April and October of 2023, each offers something slightly different that is guaranteed to please a wide audience.
Starting with the most recent single, “Cellar Door,” is heavy and finds LaPlante utilizing her harsh vocals rather amply. On the other hand, “Jaded” is a dark, atmospheric track with catchy riffs and LaPlante’s soothing singing vocals. Joining it, the oldest single of the bunch, “The Void,” is a mesmerizing effort full of electronic tones and more enchanting clean vocals from LaPlante.
This leaves the final three songs of The Fear of Fears – “Too Close / Too Late,” “Angel Eyes,” and “Ultraviolet.” All equally engaging, “Too Close / Too Late” is an emotional track with more ambiance sounds and delightfully executed singing from LaPlante. This is while “Angel Eyes” rips your heart out with immense fierceness of the highest order; making it arguably the heaviest song of the entire collection. Finally, “Ultraviolet” rounds out the collection with more of a subtle Electronic Heavy Rock approach that Spiritbox seemingly excels quite well at.
Overall, Spiritbox continues to climb up to the top of the heavy music world. Unique to much of what else is going on at this time in Modern Metal, they can be harsh when needed, but dance with delicacy better than anyone around. Possessing a sound that is very modern, yet still unique, it is no wonder Spiritbox is one of the most talked about bands in Metal right now. Living up to the hype circling them, Cryptic Rock gives The Fear of Fears 5 out of 5 stars.
){kind=link}
No comment