ALBUM REVIEW: More Subtle Than Death – Fixation
Having formed in the darkest days of the pandemic back in 2020, momentum has slowly been bubbling under the surface for Norwegian metalcore crew FIXATION. 2020’s Global Suicide showcased enormous potential for the emerging quintet and since the world has opened back up for business, with numerous shows and festival appearances, debut album More Subtle Than Death is finally here. And it’s utterly magnificent.
Following the customary introductory Impending Fallout, which weaves a soundscape of symphonic strings and posing questions from frontman Jonas Hansen, More Subtle Than Death absolutely erupts like a supernova with More Alive and the impact is jaw-dropping. Taking a leaf out of HOLDING ABSENCE‘s book, here, guitarists Martin Sele and Tobias Østerdal weave and dance over bombastic drumming and Hansen excels as his vocals croon and soar with a truly emphatic chorus as he questions the need for adoration in today’s social media climate. It’s a big earworm and gets the record off to the best possible start.
From there, FIXATION continue to ooze class and quality and showcase the vast amounts of potential within the band’s ranks. Stay Awake is a bonafide stadium anthem in the making and could rival the likes of ARCHITECTS‘ Animals with swirling synths and a surging chorus that is just made to be screamed back to the band in the live arena whilst Flat Earth shimmers with fragility before exploding into fist-pumping euphoria as Hansen‘s vocals soar and cut through the noise with the utmost precision.
And then there’s Ignore The Disarray. Arguably the strongest track FIXATION have penned to date, Hansen‘s scathing criticism of religious fanatics is the perfect subject matter as the band’s more orchestral elements are allowed to shine with their more metallic elements.
Across More Subtle Than Death‘s lean runtime of 37 minutes, the band rarely put a foot wrong, showcasing a collective unity in their individual responsibilities to create a listening experience that flows effortlessly from one track to the next. Bleed‘s delicately soft synths and exquisite vocals offers a chance to reflect and showcases a more vulnerable side to the band’s soundscape, Claustrophobic injects a bout of adrenaline in the album’s closing stages with clever pacing and album closer Dystopia soars like a phoenix and brings proceedings to a triumphant finish.
Displaying continuous potency for crafting hard-hitting modern rock anthems, More Subtle Than Death is a phenomenal debut album from FIXATION, one that showcases maturity in the collective beyond their years. Packed with hooks, emotional depth and woven together to flow seamlessly, More Subtle Than Death is the perfect catalyst for the Norwegians to really carve out a path of their own making.
Rating: 9/10
More Subtle Than Death is out now via Indie Recordings.
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