ALBUM REVIEW: Invicta – Skarlett Riot

As the world slowly opens up once again, the excitement for hearing live music once again is incomparable, especially with the new albums released this year. One such band with new music to share once gigs return are SKARLETT RIOT, the Scunthorpe metal quartet with a lot to show with their upcoming third album, Invicta. 11 years since their start as a band, there’s a lot that they have up their sleeves with this release, so what is to be expected on this third outing?

There’s a lot of similarities to this and a lot of symphonic metal acts like AMARANTHE or WITHIN TEMPTATION, having the mix of clean and unclean vocals, bringing grandiose sounds with the metal style. However, this is more grittier and harsher sounding in style, which is to this band’s strength and tenacity within this album. This is especially with the vocals from Skarlett Drinkwater and the guitars from Danny Oglesby.

The talent on display within the instrumentation and vocals is astounding, all expressive and full of life in all of the notes played and sung. This is evident in songs like Stronger, Cut The Ties, Not Alone, and Human, really giving that large, stadium metal sound. Even the soft and slower tracks like Into Pieces and Falling.

It’s one thing to have great music, but another to pair that with great lyrics, and they are fantastic. Discussions on strength, continuing on, being the best you can be; all written in a poetic and beautiful way that feels human and relatable. For example, with Into Pieces, it feels very open whilst heart-breaking, but it feels very real from these four amazing artists. Another example is with Stronger, where it feels like a genuine anthem to defeat the odds and beat the enemy. It’s not fake in its writing, and with that added belief in the lyrics, the listener can feel stronger listening to this track. 

Overall, this is a great progression of sound and style from SKARLETT RIOT, and Invicta shows how the band stays true to the metal sound whilst being able to stand out from the crowd. Brilliant riffs, brilliant rhythms, outstanding lyrics and vocals; all the ingredients are just right and ripe for this absolute banger of an album. This foursome know how to create the sound they want and craft it in such a way that people can recognise and warm to, but also differentiate themselves to make it all uniquely SARKLETT RIOT. With the strength of this third album, it looks set to be a fantastic setlist at any performance and one that any metal fan, old or new to the band, will enjoy immensely. 

Rating: 9/10 

Invicta is set for release on May 7th via Despotz Records. 

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