“This rope could only hold so much.”
I don’t know who pissed off Like Moths To Flames vocalist Chris Roetter, but from it has come their best work in the best part of a decade. Just over a year from the release of their most recent full-length, No Eternity in Gold, Like Moths are back with another offering: Pure Like Porcelain. And it is a step in the right direction. Unapologetically heavy, dark, and angry, it combines all the techniques acquired and refined over a long music career with the youthful angst successful bands typically lose.
Opener “Ameliorate” is the most familiar song, easing the listener into the newer style. Crushing chugs, soaring chorus, and a ‘blegh’ for good measure, it is the quintessential Like Moths track. “An ever flowing river of hate runs through my veins,” Roetter screams, and, judging by this EP, it’s more an ocean than a river. The lyricism in general is a very clear step up, departing from common clichés that are so prevalent in the genre and instead tackling particular themes close to the vocalist’s heart. The narrative of Pure Like Porcelain is honest and vulnerable. On “Gnashing Teeth”, Roetter describes a dysfunctional relationship with religion, something that Like Moths have often confronted in the past, but rarely in such explicit fashion. Likewise, “Views From Halfway Down” details the reality of clinging to mentalities that we recognise as unhealthy, yet persist in because they offer comfort: the very human preference of familiarity even when it’s the very thing causing pain. Name dropped within the lyrics, ‘Pure Like Porcelain’ is an ironic reference to the impure and flawed nature of humanity.
In ceding some creative control to fellow guitarists Zack Pishney and Jeremy Smith, Roetter has allowed the band to evolve, without losing the core identity of Like Moths. Even on a personal level he has kicked it up a notch, exploring more of his vocal range, as evidenced by the long pre-breakdown high in “Views From Halfway Down”, a Bojack Horseman reference that encapsulates the tone of the EP. It opens slow and melancholic, and then explodes with the vocalist’s trademark mid scream, transitioning into a low, and later into the aforementioned high. Combined with the overall improvement in the placement of vocals within the mix, this diversification makes Roetter’s delivery all the more anguished and emotive.
Lead single “The Preservation of Hate” follows, sustaining the intense energy. Brutal and thrashy, it is a stark demonstration of the band’s intention to branch out. The addition of small details in the guitar production, such as the little staccato slides, adds new and interesting layers to a track which could have flourished on its heaviness alone. “I think we just wanted to have fun with this one,” Roetter had to say. “A lot of time the focus for Moths is working cool chorus parts into the structure, so it’s a nice change of pace to have little singing on the track.” That general absence of cleans and the dark, lingering ambience make it work perfectly with the cover artwork: a track that will literally melt your face off.
2021 has seen a coincidental uptick in heavy songs with ‘Teeth’ in the title (Convictions, Of Mice & Men, ExitWounds), and Like Moths’ contribution to this list with heavier cut “Gnashing Teeth” is no slouch either. Pinch harmonics that form the bridge riff and breakdown give this track a real distinct identity. In fact, each track has something that makes it unique, atypical of Like Moths in the past. The chorus melody is taken straight from Dark Divine, but the slight muffling of the mix makes it feel claustrophobic and twisted. The opening lines throw the listener into the deep end.
‘Death is the cure
Stained glass reflects an image of faith
Baptized in the flames
A painted mark on the grave
The sound of gnashing my teeth on the cross echoes endlessly’
Perhaps the most well-rounded song, “Do Not Resuscitate” wraps up the record wonderfully. Whilst regressing slightly to the typical metalcore formula, the guitarwork is extremely satisfying, spearheaded by a gorgeous ambient lead. In spite of the band’s lack of a permanent drummer, the drums on this track are notably crisp, the raw cymbals shining through the mix. The djent-driven breakdown is simple yet punishing, a cathartic end to an emotionally-charged project.
“The EP is just a small taste of where we could possibly go next as a band,” guitarist Zack Pishney commented. “If No Eternity [In Gold] is considered a return to form album, then the EP is expanding those boundaries again. The coolest thing to me about the outcome of the EP is how extreme the shift in dynamic can be from song to song while still feeling like a cohesive listening experience as a whole.” Packed full of fun riffs, and aptly concluding with a breakdown, Pure Like Porcelain is exactly what one would expect from a heavier and more vulnerable Like Moths To Flames. A pleasant direction for a band whose sound has historically stagnated, executed as well as I have heard since their 2013 release, An Eye For An Eye. If this is just the start of their experimentation, then we are in for a real treat.
Pure Like Porcelain will be available this Friday, November 5th, via UNFD.
7.5/10