ALBUM REVIEW: Wildfires – Rising Insane
On their fourth album Wildfires, German metalcore band RISING INSANE take a look at the consequences of what happens when humanity rejects empathy. Whilst it stays true to the metalcore and post-hardcore sound established on their previous albums, it also evolves into a fresh new sound that has been inspired by the band both individually and as a group. Across 11 songs, Wildfires becomes a call to listeners to break out of the darkness and create light.
The album hits the ground running with Reign, a synth-metal song that manages to combine the two genres without one overwhelming the other, mainly by keeping the synth in the background until the bridge, where it is front and centre. With a singalong chorus that will translate well live, Wildfires is off to a brilliant start. Next track Monster is a moodier and more sombre song during the verses before picking up the energy in the choruses. For any other band, this song could’ve been a mess, but RISING INSANE don’t let that happen; they make the two pieces of the song fit together. They do this again for Lighthouse, a synth-rock song, whereas Malicious shows a heavier side to the band.
Even though each song has its own sound, by sticking to only a few broad genres, the band are able to create a coherent album. Although some people might view this as limiting themselves, the genres of electronica, metalcore, and post-hardcore are so broad that RISING INSANE can still do whatever they want really. Bet On Me makes the synths more noticeable than they are in earlier songs, which shows how the band are growing throughout the album.
Wildfires is arguably the first album that sees RISING INSANE really broadening their creativity as a band. It makes sense for them to test the waters while keeping some songs, such as Warning, that wouldn’t sound out of place on their previous efforts. But there are also other songs, such as the interlude Counting Regrets and the following track Carousel, which embrace the new direction that the band are going in, emphasising the electronic elements that stay mostly in the background elsewhere.
By building up the change in sound throughout the album, RISING INSANE make the transition feel smooth, so it doesn’t come as a surprise. This also adds to the coherent sound of the album. It’s a fast-paced record, as even songs that start off slow, like Burn and The Door, pick things up by the first chorus. That isn’t to say that the album flies by though; each song is unique, and the band take their time to establish their sound and to make sure that they make an impact.
Overall, RISING INSANE have created a fantastic album that not only embraces the endless possibilities of the future, but also the band’s past. By adding electronic elements to their already established post-hardcore and metalcore sound, they have created something that should satisfy established fans and newcomers alike. The electronic elements are blended seamlessly into the album’s sound, and they start to take centre stage as the album goes on. There are songs that wouldn’t sound out of place on older albums by the band, and the pacing is fast, but each song gets enough time to establish itself without compromising the rest of the album in what is ultimately a brilliant example of how to evolve whilst also looking back.
Rating: 9/10
Wildfires is set for release on August 23rd via Long Branch Records.
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