Desperately searching for a sign of life.
With families and other responsibilities taking priority after the release of their fifth album, Southern California metal outfit Phinehas decided to take some down time to regroup. Releasing five albums from 2011 to 2017, the band put in a solid effort and a lot of hard work into making a name for themselves.
Simmering in a state of reflection, induced by the pandemic, each of the members were faced with a stillness. Particularly vocalist Sean McCulloch, who was met with facing past fears and anxiety bubbling to the surface. Coming out the other end of this turbulent personal time, the band used this state of stillness and reflection to weave their latest LP The Fire Itself.
The opening combo of “Eternally Apart” and the title track is filled to the brim with chugging behemoth-sized riffs that assault you at every squeal of the strings. Over these two tracks, the band state their case of djent-style breakdowns and vocal trade off between clean and aggressive. Intricate guitar leads sear through each track, soaring high over the airtight rhythm section.
By the time “The War You Know” rolls into action I can feel fatigue setting in. The relentless onslaught of modern metal really wanes as the album progresses. Perhaps trying to play it safe and stick to the status quo of the typical metal tropes. Not to detract anything from the clear display of quality musicianship across all the members, the guitar solos feel a little overdone. Saying that it’s hard to deny that “Holy Coward” isn’t capital R Rocking with a southern metal twist running in the undercurrent of the weighty riffs.
This album trails off into a wash of noise, with the latter half retreading much of the same ground with the occasional ambient sections that sound a little out of place or forced into the songs. In a time where music fans have more choice than ever, the oversaturation of the metal market where only the cherry picked new kids get to the top while the dinosaurs of thrash and heavy metal maintain their ground as the golden standard of the genre, people want progression and growth from artists.
4/10