“Sever the lines of life and guide your hands to mine.”
By now, it should come as no surprise to anybody that Florida is putting out some of the most consistent modern metalcore. For years now, band after band has spawned from the sunny state, each steadily reviving what was once a dying genre and reinvigorating the spark that had been long extinguished for so many. With the likes of Contention, Domain, and Balmora amongst the ranks, there’s a high bar set, and with the release of this room could be heaven, concealer. has their sights set on joining them.
Originating as a side-project of sorts consisting of a handful of Bury Your Idols members amongst others, concealer. exploded onto our radar all the way back in July of 2024 with the release of their debut EP dissonance [ all that keeps me awake ], and since then, we’ve been consistently impressed by the project’s output. Consistently touring and also releasing an additional double single in [ tarnished | ableedingsky ], there’s a very clear and strong work ethic behind the project. Both of the aforementioned releases made it into our “Best Of” releases for their respective categories. Needless to say, we were very excited at the prospect of the band’s first full-length, and were more than keen to see whether they’d manage to maintain the magic which they’d managed to consistently capture so far.
From the very beginning, this room could be heaven sees concealer. push themselves into entirely new territory, taking risks, and changing the formula massively from what we’ve already seen from them. Where their previous releases saw them employing a raw, demo-esque mix, this room could be heaven leans into the bigger, more rounded production style, and, as a result, the album feels absolutely massive. Whilst for some, this may not quite land, for us, it absolutely did. Everything is all the more deliberate, and hits just that bit harder than before. Drums are more commanding and oppressive, guitars chug and squeal much more menacingly, and Tristan Hill’s vocals are all the more deranged and immediate. There is certainly something to be said for their previous mix style, and there was undoubtedly a charm to it which some will miss. But given the quality of the underlying material, it’s clear to see why the decision was made, and it was absolutely the right call.
In terms of variety, there’s much more of that across the album as well. Where concealer.’s prior material was all very similar in its style, this room could be heaven, as the band is experimenting massively, implementing entirely new sounds for the project. “the stillness between us” particularly stands out for this, with the band focusing on atmosphere above all else. A softer moment amongst the carnage that precedes it, this track is something we’re yet to see from the project, but you wouldn’t know it. In its execution, it is flawless. Light, echoey guitars meet softly sung vocals to form an overall ethereal listening experience.
That’s not to say that everything here is wholly different, however. There are plenty of tracks that will instantly appeal to existing fans, each bringing that signature concealer. sound but with a few more twists and turns worked in to add to the variety. “Vanity, a fractured promise”, the album’s opener, makes this abundantly clear. It’s concealer. doing what they do best: heavy, riffy metalcore, and it still sounds fantastic. Speaking of variety on this sound, though, there are also a few moments that expand upon this and take things in a much heavier direction. “Claymore” and “A Quiet Ending” are notable occurrences of this. Perhaps to be expected from a track named “Claymore”, the band explodes into a flurry of screams punctuated by a ludicrously fast kick-drum beat to lead things in, and it never relents. Pure fury, it’s aggression and oppression through and through. Then there’s the ironically titled “a quiet ending”, where Hill’s vocals are immediate and erratic, matched with pitched guitars akin to the likes of Abrupt Decay or some of the more menacing Long Goodbye material.
Another thing that sets this room could be heaven apart from the band’s previous material is the introduction of low screams now joining the fray. A risky decision given the iconic sound already garnered through the juxtaposition of the band’s high-pitched fry screams and the soft, echoing cleans, it’s one which, once again, pays off dividends. Making heavier sections instantly more oppressive and providing more variety to the overall soundscape, they’re scattered throughout and keep the record moving without ever growing stale. Something which the band had already been toying with live for some time now, it’s great to see how these fit into the band’s sound in a studio setting.
Not quite flawless but remarkably close, this room could be heaven marks a stellar entry into the Florida metalcore repertoire, and given that it’s the band’s debut album, they’re already positioned to become one of the scene’s powerhouses. Now all that’s left is for these tracks to be toured… Learn the words, go to a show, and sing and scream your heart out – they deserve it.
9/10
this room could be heaven releases on the 31st of March via Zegema Beach Records and Ephyra, and is available for pre-order via both retailers.