ALBUM REVIEW: Revival – Light The Torch

The last year or so has been a bit of a nightmare for Howard Jones and company. After various failed attempts at UK tours they finally succeeded in 2017 but since then have been caught up in legalities. Due to former bassist John Sankey‘s departure from the band this led to DEVIL YOU KNOW being laid to rest in favour of new moniker LIGHT THE TORCH. With new drummer Mike Sciulara (EXTINCTION A.D.) in tow this rebirth sees a new album on the horizon aptly entitled Revival due for release on March 30th via Nuclear Blast Records.

Die Alone unleashes the riffs from the starting grids and instantly brings a wave of catharsis hearing the unmistakable tones of Howard Jones. LIGHT THE TORCH have brought out the heavy artillery, packed full of addictive hooks and infectious melodies guaranteed to draw you in like a flock of sirens. The God I Deserve kicks into gear with a barrage of downtuned, jabbing riffs capable of shattering your jaw whilst still maintaining the emotive tones and sing along mentality we have come to know with previous releases.

Calm Before The Storm sustains the high energy levels instilled thus far with straight laced, hard hitting riffs and drum beats throughout. Prepare for the chorus to be ingrained in your mind for quite some time. In contrast Raise The Dead brings a more djent-like vibe to the table with prominent bass hooks and Francesco Artusato begins to uncage his phenomenal instrumental prowess with a tasteful solo adding that emphatic exclamation point.

The Safety Of Disbelief tugs on the heart strings with emotionally charged lyrics as this track was built for crowd participation. Howard Jones once again displays his ungodly invigorating range as he effortlessly dives between powerful harmonies and fierce screams. Virus takes another dive into the heavier realms with short snappy riffing and groove ridden beats, keeping things simple but effective.

At the half way point LIGHT THE TORCH have already showcased their lack of fear to provide a wide variety of material. The Great Divide continues this mentality with stripped down, electronic experimentation and huge vocal passages before The Bitter End reprises the crushing guitar work which initially shares similar tones to SLIPKNOT’s Iowa. The blend between melody and carnage continues and is proven to be very fruitful with a colossal sounding riff to keep you on your toes.

Lost In The Fire commences with pounding drums and stabbing riff work, building the tension before releasing another hefty chorus and chillingly savage screams towards the latter stages. The Sound Of Violence throws gritty, bass work into the mix with searing vocal passages displaying frightening intensity before fading into penultimate track Pull My Heart Out. The riffs continue to spill out and there are even moments in this track where the raw emotion comes to a boiling point. You can sense the vulnerability in Howard’s vocals as he screams with pure passion.

Judas Convention showcases a tense, minimalistic opening as Howard’s vocals are stripped down for the world to see. It is little wonder why he is considered as one of the greatest frontmen in the history of metal. The feverish energy remains constant until the dying moments as the track fades to a close.

Revival doesn’t display as much technical flair as it’s predecessors but it does maintain the potency and penchant for massive choruses which has become a staple of their arsenal. LIGHT THE TORCH have developed a no frills, straight to the point metal album which is hard to fault. Howard Jones is in incendiary form as his melodic prowess elevates the rest of the band, it is a shame that his hair-raising screams are somewhat sparse on this effort but when they appear they are executed perfectly.

Rating: 8/10

Revival is out now via Nuclear Blast Records.

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