The latest release from Fyrebrand it's hard with a grueling set of deep and rumbling soundscapes brought on with an almost orchestral approach that brings this metal into an almost theatrical world and the combination of those two elements builds an atmosphere that you can literally escape into.
The Vengeance Is Mine album is laced with all kinds of melodic hooks that show face in between brutal riffs and low-pitched guitar tones that shake the ground beneath your feet.
The energy level of this record from beginning to end is absolutely stellar and it doesn't really let up even for a half second so when you put this record on you really have to be ready for it because it definitely does have the ability to take you to a different place altogether and there's enough drive for it to really leave its mark.
That bass tone is ridiculous and adds a lot of depth to the songs as well as the sense and keys that fill the atmosphere with an almost ambient and sometimes edgy flow.
Vocals are balanced between screaming with a grueling tone and those melodic sections along with softer parts that end up surprising you as you go through the record.
The thing about this album is that there are surprises around a lot of the corners of it and there are definitely layers to be peeled back.
I think this also gives me a real concept album vibe because it feels like the songs are interconnected with each other as if each one is telling stories and you're reading chapters of a book.
This brings me back to that escapism factor because this record really lets you forget about the reality that you're in for a good while and it feels good to let a record do that again.
A lot about this album packs a hell of a punch but the further you go into the album the more that gets balanced out with those melodic and drifting sections that add more of that cinematic and theatrical tonality I was speaking about earlier.
It is indeed very orchestral in a way and that comes down to the layers of textures on top of each other from the vocals to the synths or keys, and the guitars.
All of this stuff layers on top of each other and the way that the songs were arranged lets them have room to breathe.
Don't get me wrong, the record is as heavy as it gets but it's not just that straightforward or black and white so there's a lot of coolness to soak in throughout the course of this release.
If you love metal, you'll love this record, and when I say that what I mean is, there are a handful of songs that for me, feel really good as singles that would stand on their own two legs very well however, listening to this full album from beginning to end seems to be the proper way to really soak it in.
Definitely try and listen to this full record if you get a chance because even the way that the songs are compiled and ordered, lets this thing really stay strong.
Dive into the swim when you can, it's worth your time.