“Now I’m rewriting history, please let the apple fall far from the tree.”
Metalcore veterans Miss May I return with their first full length album since 2017. Over the years, the Ohio quintet has released several genre-defining classics such as “Apologies Are For The Weak”, “Relentless Chaos”, and “Hey Mister”. Which brings us to today, and a rather pertinent question: does Curse of Existence have any more classics to offer?
The album wastes no time getting into it with opener “A Smile That Does Not Exist”. It has all the hallmarks of their signature melodic metalcore sound, with the familiar style of riffs and an anthemic chorus from bassist and singer Ryan Neff. As far as opening tracks go, it sets the sound and the precedent for the album to come. Is this a good or a bad thing? We’ll come back to that. Following this are two singles, “Earth Shaker” and “Bleed Together”. Of the two, “Bleed Together”, a spiritual successor to the band’s hit “Hey Mister“, is the stronger, providing a more memorable chorus and a punchy breakdown. Where their 2012 career highlight illustrates the story of a child in the absence of a father figure, the sequel is this child’s promise to their own child to stand by their side, and that raw emotion is felt throughout. Conversely, while “Earth Shaker” is by no means a bad song, it doesn’t really shake any of the promised earth.
Enter “Into Oblivion”, a track that made me raise my eyebrows in a good way. While it doesn’t stray far from the typical Miss May I formula, it’s a really strong offering with groovy riffs, a solid hook, and a spicy solo. Frontman Levi Benton still sounds as good as ever with his signature shriek-screams. “Hollow Vessel” follows in this vein with another tasteful solo. The guitar work has always been something I liked about this band, and it was great to hear them truly ‘go off’ once again here. It’s also worth noting that there are some fun, punchy, certainly satisfying breakdowns contained within these tracks.
Moving onto the next few songs and into the second half of the tracklist, the lyrical themes of Curse of Existence start to show. True to the album name, there is a connecting theme of dealing with hardships. The hook of fourth single “Free Fall” particularly demonstrates this, containing the lyrics, “All I did, was reach the edge but never leap”. However, there are moments of reflection which speak to hopefulness and empowerment scattered throughout the album. With the following tracks, “Born Destroyers” and lead single “Unconquered”, some of the album’s problems start to show. As mentioned at the start, the album’s opening track establishes that Curse of Existence is going to sound a certain way. This very much shows here: these two tracks are not bad tracks in isolation, but they do not develop much at all. They feel rather status quo for the band and the album starts to notably stagnate at this point.
Thankfully, the following track, “Savior to Self”, comes in to pick things up. With an atmospheric backing of choir vocals and tremolo sections that feel somewhat reminiscent of black metal, this is a standout track on the album. The words “this is for the iron hearts, steel sharpens steel” ring out as a triumphant shout, and it speaks of fighting through adversity. After what felt like a period of drought within the album, this feels like a jug of iced water. The album ends with “Bloodshed”, which continues on with the choir backing vocals explored on “Savior to Self” and lends the end of the album a much-needed sense of continuity. These greatly strengthen the song, adding a layer of atmosphere that helps it to stand on its two feet, especially when they are used in the ending breakdown.
While not a bad album, Curse of Existence is not without its flaws. I liken it to visiting a local mid-tier restaurant; you know what you are getting into and it is often reliable, but it can get stale. The anthemic choruses, melodic riffs, and rapid-chug breakdowns are all good things, but they suffer from overuse at times. While there are moments of innovation sprinkled throughout, they feel touch-and-go. This album should please most listeners and Miss May I fans, but it has significant room to develop into something more nuanced.
7/10
Curse of Existence will be available September 2nd via SharpTone Records, and you can preorder it here.