ALBUM REVIEW: Life In Exile – Shields

Metalcore seems to be in the midst of a revival era. Despite its rich history, one could argue that the past decade has been somewhat regressive, only for it to emerge once again as a new incarnation. Aussie outfit POLARIS can conceivably be dubbed as the crux of this juncture; they’ve taken the grass-roots of the genre, reanimated it with a myriad of hardcore and tech influences, and presented it with attitude and gusto. Scottish metallers BLEED FROM WITHIN have undergone a similar process with long-awaited comeback album Era, and even genre-heavyweights TRIVIUM were able to readjust to contemporary tropes with The Sin And The Sentence, one of 2017’s strongest metal releases. London-based act SHIELDS have commenced 2018 by assertively placing themselves in a similar ballpark, despite the untimely death of guitarist George Christie In January: an unimaginably difficult setback. This is an outfit that, following two eyebrow-raising EPs in 2013 and 2015 respectively, have teetered on the outer-perimeter of the scene for some time now. However, with highly anticipated full-length album Life In Exile finally in their arsenal, it would seem that SHIELDS are at long last ready to exert themselves with full force.

It’s clear that this band aren’t willing to take any prisoners. SHIELDS may have been absent for three long years, but introductory track Intimacy paints a picture of a band with audacity and momentum in excess. Almost immediately the mix is awash with abundant noise, with what is roughly a full minute of breakdown-based carnage, boasting chunky, djent-infused riffing, and the sheer miasma of aggressive, yelled vocals. A crisp, compressed mix ties all of this together neatly, establishing a full, rich wall of sound, and setting a thoroughly positive precedent for what’s to follow. Bleeding gracefully into lead single Black Dog, this carnage persists without a sniff of hesitation. This song very much acts as the archetype of SHIELDS in 2018: it boasts aggression, pace, energy, technicality, and the melodic trill of guitarist Sam Kubrick‘s clean vocals as he belts out “this beast is all I have”, a potentially poignant message given certain recent tribulations.

At this point it’s obvious that there’s simply no slowing these guys down. This album clearly fits snugly into a trope of new-wave metalcore akin to the likes of WAGE WAR and POLARIS, and In The Grey and Upside Down both take sizeable steps towards demonstrating this. Gnarly, djent-embossed sections fittingly counterpoise much more melodic, passionate, anthemic passages, and these two opposing forces collide tastefully to form a notably well-rounded picture.

Compelling as the whole formula may be, the clean vocals are arguably pivotal. With breakdowns and groove sections proving to be a considerably frequent tool, the bardic, grandiose choruses are able to stand out even more, offsetting the heaviness, breaking up the tracks, and allowing the record to feel far more memorable song-for-song. Guitar work also tends to take a front-seat in the bigger picture. The heavier sections are infinitely complemented by the crisp, djent-inspired guitar tones and sauntering grooves, and in a similar sense the sporadic use of ambient leads often proves pivotal in manufacturing a passionate, emotive atmosphere. Delilah, Love Is Dead, and Mother are all key subjects in this regard.

However, unsurprisingly this album is not perfect, and the key shortcomings really come down to its length. Perhaps not the run-time as such, but rather the number of tracks. A dozen songs can be a tall order for a band’s first release in three years, and unfortunately this reflects in the final product. With djent-infused breakdown-style sections playing a major role in most of the tracks, the overall approach falls victim to feeling somewhat banal and repetitive. Whilst effective in many ways, Life In Exile clearly plays on the emerging movement of ‘strat-djent’, an approach fathered and perfected by Liverpudlian outfit LOATHE. The cathartic nature of this approach is truly palpable, but it can undoubtedly wear thin if abused, and SHIELDS are guilty of that here. One could also posit that the over-exaggeration of this style causes certain dynamics to be lost in the mix, with the chunky guitar tones often overriding other, more nuanced elements. Furthermore, whilst the album generally maintains a degree of clear passion, a lot of the lyricism still comes across as benign and generic. Second single It’s Killing Me, whilst maintaining a great deal of impact, doesn’t exactly hit home with the choral harps of “They say what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger”; an incessantly regurgitated turn-of-phrase. This isn’t a detrimental gripe, but it’s certainly a shame to see an absence of eloquent lyricism to pair with impassioned vocals.

It’s often necessary to be meticulously critical with up-and-coming artists; it keeps their heads out of the clouds. No one was expecting a flawless work of art from SHIELDS, and whilst this proved to be a realistic expectation, the Londoners still did a stellar job. Life In Exile succeeds in many areas, namely it’s assertive aggression, charmingly melodic choruses, and clean, punchy production. Ultimately it’s a lack of creativity in certain areas that lets the record down. Regardless, the world of contemporary metalcore has been graced once again by a fresh face, and having officially made their return, SHIELDS look set to take the scene by storm in the years to come.

Rating: 7/10

Life In Exile is set for release on April 20th via Long Branch Records.

Like SHIELDS on Facebook.