“Lost in the fantasy of being anyone but me.”
Sydney melodic hardcore unit Bloom are a force of emotion to be reckoned with. The band found recognition with their 2020 EP, In Passing. Following the story of a funeral, the heartbreaking release spared no mercy in its retelling and reflection of the loss of a loved one. They’ve kept their streak with a string of hard-hitting pre-release singles, paving the road to their debut full-length album, Maybe In Another Life.
Somber intro track “An Entry” launches into the album’s title track. Flurries of aggressive, classic melodic hardcore riffing lead to a despondently soaring chorus, delivered by guitarist and clean singer Jarod McLaren. The band’s penchant for injecting infectious hooks into the aggression is one that is highly impressive. A pensive lament about an existential crisis, the song indulges in self-pity in a most relatable fashion and sets the tone for the album to follow.
“If I had purpose, would I still feel lost?”
Following this, “Siren Song” brings a throwback style of aggression without feeling dated, with delectable lead lines from guitarist Oli Butler accompanying the track. Lead vocalist Jono Hawkey is a major driving force of this sound, with his gritty vocals displaying a controlled chaos as he balances emotion and aggression.
“Bound To Your Whispers” struck me as a convincing first single on release. With its nostalgic instrumental channelling some early Hundredth, the track carries a momentum, with drummer Jack Van Vliet’s abilities on full display here. An energetic display of bleakness, this sentiment could not be truer as the song’s lyrics sees its character in a dialogue with their depression, with Hawkey and McLaren acting as the two voices going back and forth with each other. Accurately portraying its often intrusive nature, the lyrics capture a person in bondage and hopelessness to a tee. The intricate storytelling is a dimension to the song that few bands pull off successfully, a testament to the all-rounded talent of Bloom.
“I’m at the root of your anxiety. There’s not a world you exist without me.”
With its stripped back, clean guitar intro, “Carve Yourself Into My Lungs” ushers in a slower, sadder portion of the album. Exploding into a gorgeous, post-metal soundscape, the blanket of ambience pairs excellently with the feelings of loss portrayed by the lyrics of the track. “You & I” follows in this vein instrumentally, but takes a bold choice for the band by containing no harsh vocals. Its melodic direction pays off, playing up the melancholy of the track to higher peaks than before. A reflection on a drifting relationship, it still presents a wistful optimism that things could change. The sound shift in this portion of the album was a worthy risk to take, showcasing Bloom’s versatility whilst evoking a different dimension of emotion.
“Fragments Of A Dream” returns the album to earlier themes, with its ideation of a better life cutting deep. It conveys a deep longing and envy, grieving the potential for a better, happier life. There’s something rather comforting in the raw expression of regret, a sentiment that has felt all too real to me many times. The solace found in this sorrow, it’s visceral.
“An image of a better me that fades when I’m away.”
The album takes a sharp turn back into the more intense emotions of the album, swerving into “Laughing Stock”. The envy of before manifests in bitterness, with the shortest track of the album providing a much-needed emotional release, a burst of jealously towards everyone seemingly having a better life.
The album ends on “Through The Threshold, Beyond The Bend”, with this and previous track “An Exit” returning the album to the band’s usual melodic hardcore sound. There’s a certain hopelessness to the track, with a defeated resignation to the condition. A mountain of remorse felt for the life wasted in struggle, the track concludes with Hawkey’s jeremiads of being unable to change his circumstances. There is no hopeful ending as gentle piano notes signal the album’s close.
With a foundation on a timeless style, Bloom have taken an intentional effort to keep this release from being yet another melodic hardcore album, introducing various influences from other genres to add nuance to the instrumentation. Despite this, it’s without a doubt though that Maybe In Another Life truly stands out in its lyrics. Eloquent yet never convoluted, they are a very real look into disillusionment and dissociation, with many questions asked that may never yield answers. Though it may be driven by a familiar vehicle, the path Bloom marks for itself is one that is deeply personal and genuine, and its one that will surely find many journeying along.
8.5/10
Maybe In Another Life releases on the 16th of February via Pure Noise Records and Greyscale Records, and pre-order links for the album can be found here.