“We’ll carry the torches for those who have died.”
New York’s Until I Wake are a promising core group who leapt to prominence in 2021 with their debut self-titled EP, blending honest lyrics with fast and fun guitarwork that are, if not overly intricate, remarkably infectious. With the right dose of aggression, the American quartet struck a formula that captures both rock and core fans alike, and has seen them accrue north of 300,000 monthly listeners. This success has continued with the release of wildly successful singles such as “Octane” and “Fake” from their upcoming full-length, Inside My Head, which sees them push their sound in both directions simultaneously.
Much like the artwork, Inside My Head’s glaring issue rears its ugly head right at the start – “The Sacrifice” is simply a terrible intro track. It is not an exaggeration to say after the first listen, I have skipped it each and every time. Perhaps it leans more satirical than presented, but it’s both actively a detriment to the album and wildly tonally disconnected. It is, however, mercifully short, and the lack of instrumentals mean it is perhaps unfair to judge it is a song, yet in the context of the record it is an unnecessary and conspicuous inclusion which detracts from the immersion rather than enhances it. I appreciate its attempt to frame the conceptual stories of a nihilistic post-apocalyptic society and the overthrowing of a futuristic totalitarian dictatorship told within “Forsaken” and “Marching Forward” respectively, but I feel as though the music and lyricism speaks for itself in that regard, without resorting to a histrionic monologue that feels so detached next to the personal and intimate tone expressed by the vast majority of Inside My Head.
For those unfamiliar with Until I Wake, do not let that deter you. When it comes to the actual music on offer, there is a lot to love, particularly for fans of octanecore bands such as label-mates Wage War and I Prevail. For the most part, if you crossed the signature high-pitched cleans of Picturesque’s Kyle Hollis with the discographies of those two bands, you’d end up with something like this – complete with the groovy riffs, anthemic hooks, and subtle electronics that make them so appealing. Early tracks and singles “Forsaken”, “Fake”, and “Octane” speak to this right out of the gate, with their more accessible format and some of the most melodic choruses on the record. Vocalist Cody Johnson’s range is seriously impressive across Inside My Head, including gutturals and demonic highs, but the draw for many a listener will be his piercing, infectious cleans.
“Reasons” follows on from the singles, an R&B fusion track with a frankly uninspired beat; the flow of the rapping does very little for me, though I appreciate the genre-blending and message explored within the course of the track. Eventually opening up with a guitar solo, it reverts to being a more traditional anthemic post-hardcore track in the last third. “hope ur happy” continues with some gloriously prominent bass and a surprisingly effective emotional refrain. With the vocoded cleans of the title track rounding out the first half, as well as the singles, much of the chunk Inside My Head has to offer comes in its final stretch.
“Still Sinking” picks up the pace again, storming straight into a Wage War-esque riff that drops into a simple yet memorable chorus and a shortlived but seismic machine gun breakdown. This was no doubt a great candidate for a single. Its atmospheric outro with interspersed keys slips into “Undeserved”, a nice piano ballad complemented by some subtle strings. Exploring the lower register of the vocalist’s cleans – to great effect – lends the softer, key-backed moments a sense of real introspection and melancholy. And when the familiar high cleans kick back in towards the end, the contrast leaves the song feeling rightfully uplifting. As I type this, the UK is experiencing a gorgeous heatwave, and Inside My Head has slipped into my rotation, the bouncy riffs and soaring choruses perfect for those hot afternoons sat relaxing on the lawn.
“We’re bringing back what we love about metalcore and modernizing it,” professed bassist Ryan Ridley, and “For The Record” is the closest the band gets to reviving one of their clear influences: The Fallout-era Crown The Empire. Drowned in theatrics and synthesizers, with the mix and clean delivery sounding like a slightly updated interpretation of a scene classic. “Legacy” fits a similar model yet falls short, lacking the aggression that makes the former so effective, its compressed mix left feeling like a flaw rather than a nostalgic affectation. “Blue Beam” again leans into the heavier side of the band’s sound, Cody flexing both his lows and high screams equally. It is the only track on the album completely devoid of cleans, and the frenetic, relentless instrumentals set it up for this perfectly: ferocious guitarwork backed by pummelling percussion, and lyrics veritably spat at the listener such as, “Call for reinforcements, we’re all going to die.” Nothing is held back here.
To give Inside My Head its due, it is much heavier than the singles indicate, excepting a few outliers. As much as I had qualms with the opening track, the same cannot be said for the closer; of the tracklist, no song would fit better than “Marching Forward”. Once again, combined with the concept behind it, the track floats in dramatic ambience, offset only by aggressive verses calling for the blood of tyrants – ultimately sounding like a metalcore rendering of the French Revolution. A surprisingly proficient execution of a modern scene matinée which sees the harshest lyrics and vocal delivery on the record. The leads are bouncy, evoking an almost progressive vibe at times, the screams are vicious, tinged with the slightest hints of Veil of Maya, and the track slips between melodic and heavy with ease. This may very well be the direction Until I Wake takes in the future, and it would serve them well to dedicate the course of a release to it rather than having it bookend a record primarily themed around quotidian emotion.
Burn them to the ground, hold them accountable.
Repaint the walls red with their blood.
Show all the traitors to the rope.
Burn them all while we sing, make them pay for their sins.
They pave their cities in gold while they just leave us for dead.
A serpent sits on the throne, collecting all of our debts.
We said enough is enough, let’s show them civil unrest,
And when our battle is won,
We’ll decorate with their heads.
Despite Inside My Head’s minor blemishes – the opening track, “Reasons”, and some repetitive chorus melodies further blurred together by an evident formula – it certainly achieves exactly what it intends to: catchy yet crunchy, guitar-driven anthems. Additionally, the guitarwork hits levels of complexity beyond what is necessary for this type of core, and that is to Inside My Head‘s credit. Song for song, it is perhaps not as strong as their eponymous EP, but it is a strong follow-up and debut full-length nonetheless. Every member of the band can hold their heads up high and be proud of what they have crafted with this 43-minute exploration of an otherwise very saturated sound. Fans of Wage War, Pierce The Veil, Crown The Empire, and I Prevail will surely find a new band to add to the rotation.
Inside My Head will release next Friday, September 9th, via Fearless Records, and you can pre-order it here.
7.5/10