“Cherish the misery, no poison so bittersweet.”
The UK core scene possesses few bands quite as visceral and cutthroat as InVisions. Yet, despite the band having already released two full-length studio LPs and the fact that I’ve even seen them live supporting the comparably-popular outfit Our Hollow, Our Home, I’ve genuinely never given this band an honest shot in my own time. I appreciate this may be blasphemous to many.
Once the opportunity to review the latest InVisions record presented itself however, I knew I had to take it — I could finally commit my ears to some homegrown, heavy goodness. After all, everything about InVisions appeals to me on paper: riff-centric tracks that hybridise the very best of djent, metalcore and deathcore, bleak ambience that wouldn’t go amiss on a pre-FTTWTE Architects record, and soaring, singalong choruses. So, does Deadlock hold up to its potential promise?
Opening track ‘The 6 6 9’ certainly indicates so as it blasts off with calamitous-sounding synths and turbo-charged chugging patterns by six-string savages Lucas Gabb and Alex Scott. Windbreaker-clad frontman Ben Ville utterly rips from the very commencement of Deadlock —the introductory line “You must have lost your fucking mind” carries calculated menace and a serious “fuck you, I’m here” kind of vibe. Stellar stuff so far.
Those familiar with the likes of Alpha Wolf and Sleep Waker would do well to reach for their headphones for lead single ‘Annihilist’. This standout song is an uncompromising onslaught and has the downright catchiest chorus on the entire record; “So fucking let it burn / Let it burn / Let’s get a little higher / To watch the world on fire.” No, this isn’t the most lyrically impressive track offered on Deadlock, but it sure is equal parts anthemic and aggressive.
Next, get ready to be smacked in the chops with a DigiTech Drop pedal on ‘D V P E’: we goin’ LOW. It’s immediately evident why InVisions went with ‘D V P E’ as a single — this might just be the most maniacal, maliciously-heavy and massive offering on Deadlock. As the tempo slows in the tracks closing phase, Ville produces utterly vile gutturals that would rival the likes of Crystal Lake’s Ryo Kinoshita, creating a truly memorable moment on this album.
Transitioning into the second half of Deadlock, we have this record’s title track. On ‘Deadlock’, InVisions highlight the lyric “It’s the same old shit / But shit, I’m not the same me”, and that this illustrates the all-too-knowable spiral of self-doubt affecting confidence, which in turn only worsens one’s internalised insecurities. The message here is absolutely spot on and is an important one to communicate, but it feels a touch insincere when it is part of a really rather generic track.
The latter half of Deadlock is perhaps even more thunderous than one had hoped. Seventh song ‘Last Light’ straight up bangs with its electrifying, emotive atmosphere and high-octane energy throughout. Just listen to that ambient, almost apocalyptic-sounding intro, and try to tell me that shit doesn’t sound inspired.
What’s more is the crushing, kick-laden and beautifully-tuned drum work on ‘Last Light’, and indeed Deadlock holistically. Mad props are in order for drummer Josh Hardy and mixing engineer Joe Graves — the drums are an absolute treat to listen to. The chorus for ‘Last Light’ will have you thinking that InVisions secretly employed Sam Carter to throw in some sneaky vocal lines; check out Ville’s “So tell me who made the measure / Because it’s a lonely place to live forever”.
Lastly, I’ve got to highlight the late-album lament, ‘D E A L E R’. Swinging into the fray like an All Our Gods Have Abandoned Us bonus track, this song is downright deadly, evoking imagery of desolate, windswept landscapes on the edge of existence. The riffs on show here, whilst a little derivative of InVisions’ contemporaries, are nonetheless really fucking solid and serve the song perfectly well.
If there’s something you might have noticed over this record’s respectable forty-one minute run-time, it’s that InVisions pulls off the hyper-abrasive modern metalcore sound masterfully well, but resists straying from the safety of a pre-established sound. The record largely has a sense of familiarity to it from the offset; you’ve likely already heard similar material from the likes of While She Sleeps, Asking Alexandria or Wage War just to name a few.
The core issue here is symptomatic of a greater picture — this style of music, particularly in 2022, is so sheerly saturated. In turn, more and more bands are now forced to reinvent the wheel just to stay relevant, or accept that what they offer is depreciating in its uniqueness. This is something I sincerely hope InVisions take note of and work with — I’m always overjoyed to see UK bands blowing up and getting their deserved recognition, and InVisions are no different here.
Ultimately, Deadlock is a respectable record and I have no doubt that it’ll be celebrated wildly by many in the metalcore community, and that the standout songs will draw in many a newcomer to InVisions. For me personally, Deadlock is a more lukewarm affair, with several misses of a generic nature scattered amongst the truly knock-out bangers. If this were an EP comprised just of said bangers, or if I possessed the same tastes I had in years prior, my feelings towards Deadlock would be remarkably different. This one is certainly a worthy listen, but your mileage may vary.
Deadlock by InVisions will be self-released on Friday February 11th 2022, and you still have time to cop a pre-order here. For more on InVisions and UK metalcore, stay with us on Boolin Tunes.
7/10