SPIRITBOX - THE FEAR OF FEAR
Pushing boundaries and igniting souls, having formed in 2016, the Canadian metalcore band, Spiritbox, has quickly risen to prominence with their stunning blend of melodic and progressive elements.
Composed of Courtney LaPlante (vocals), Mike Stringer (guitar), Zev Rosenburg (drums) and Josh Gilbert (bass), Spiritbox has become a force to be reckoned with in the heavy music scene. With LaPlante's ethereal and haunting vocals, backed by Stringer's intricate guitar work and Gilbert's thunderous basslines, the band creates a sonic experience that is both atmospheric and captivating.
Spiritbox's music is characterized by its explosive energy, dynamic song structures, and thought-provoking lyrics. Their relentless drive to push boundaries and explore new territories has earned them a devoted fanbase and critical acclaim. With their debut album Eternal Blue receiving widespread praise, Spiritbox continues to ignite souls with their emotive and mesmerizing sound in their latest EP, The Fear of Fear.
Opening the EP, ‘Cellar Door’ bursts out of the gates with the high energy this quartet are known for. The track, arguably being the group’s heaviest since ‘Holy Roller’, shares screams from both LaPlante and Stringer helping to portray a feeling of taking two steps forward and one step back and feeling lost and stuck in the current state of the world and within oneself.
Having previously been released as a single, ‘Jaded’ shares a calmer tone in the beginning with guitars and synths before LaPlante’s voices comes in with a soft whisper and the drums kick in bringing in the harder elements to the track. Contrary to the previous track, Jaded shares more of a melodic sense, though the chorus brings both this melody and screams together in a perfect mix.
‘Too Close / Too Late’ is another melody-centric track using soft melodies by LaPlante in the first verse before the instrumentals start to get slightly heavier. Talking on knowing what you want but knowing it’s too late, though it’s just in arms reach. The desperation in this is shown through the bridge of the song leaving to the heavier drums and the chorus again.
The final track, ‘Ultraviolet’, sheds light on knowing change is going to happen. Maybe having been in a rough spot, and realizing what needs to be done to change and for things to be better. LaPlante’s melodies mixed with the heavier tone of the instrumentals help to solidify the idea of working to get out of a place that doesn’t feel right and hoping the people close to you will be there in the end.
Overall, this EP shares the strong, energetic sounds Spiritbox has been known for, while on the other hand, showing what they’re capable of. Blending new sounds and themes help to keep the listeners on their toes even as ‘Ultraviolet’ drowns out, leaving the listeners wanting more.
Niki Davidson
★★★★★