ALBUM REVIEW: The Volume Series – The Plot In You
The last few years has seen one of metalcore’s more exciting bands, THE PLOT IN YOU, drip feeding us a selection of songs that have been released through a smattering of EP’s. This has been the perfect way to generate excitement about the band and also tease new music by keeping us on our toes wondering what is going to come next. Now, record collectors can rejoice as all these songs are making their way as a full collective, as they present to us, The Volume Series.
Opening the album is a whirlwind of a track that is Divide. A sludgy riff amongst a cascade of sound introduces us (or reintroduces us) to the epic 2024 single. It’s a great opener and feels more cohesive once you listen to these songs as a collective whole. As the song progresses, we are met with frontman Landon Tewers’ excellent vocals as he expertly weaves between clean and harsh vocals as we are met with breakdowns that shake us to our core. This seeps into Left Behind, a track that has a more melodic sound that is a bit more accessible to casual fans. In terms of other tracks on this record, it’s one of the more gentle ones, but it feels sincere and gives the band a nice vulnerable side with some excellent vocals on display from Tewers once again. The respite in this collection’s bruising nature is quickly over as Forgotten kicks in with a brooding track that sees Tewers growling his way through from start to finish. It truly rattles your ears so play this one as loud as you can.
Closure sees a return of the sludgy riff introduce this song to us as its opening riffs create a beautiful bounce that then transforms into another earnest track that once again sees the band opening up. Whilst this song is great in its own right, it doesn’t quite hit as hard as others as it opts for a more pop-esque sound, but the themes of sometimes needing closure to events that have happened in your life gives it a victorious feel as Tewers desperately sings “I don’t think I could live through that again.” One of this records heavier tracks, Don’t Look Away, greets us by packing a punch which at times feels like a hammer striking an anvil. There’s an urgency to this one which whips up a wonderful sense of intensity which has you licking your lips at the prospect of seeing this live. Mosh pits surely beckon with this track as it pummels you with its funky and dark sounding riffs. All That I Can Give is another track that means well and should be better than it is, but again just falls a bit short, giving off vibes of Suicide Season era BRING ME THE HORIZON with The Sadness Never Ends.
In what is perhaps the album’s stand out track, Been Here Before stands out head and shoulders amongst the rest of the tracks. It’s euphoric in nature with its cathartic chorus that summons goosebumps as soon as that chorus hits and you want to shout along at the top of your lungs. It is the quintessential THE PLOT IN YOU track as everything you need as it blasts along at 100mph and at times can send you on the feels train. If you’ve seen this song live in the last two years, then you’ll know how special this one is live. Particularly in the moment where the music stops and Tewers’ vocals carry the song for a glorious few seconds. It almost seems unfair that any song has the follow the prior, but Pretend is a track that again doesn’t quite hit high standards and could easily have been trimmed from the album to be released as a B side. The quality amps up more for Spare Me, one of the heavier tracks on the album. It sounds how a bruise looks as it barrels its way from start to finish along with some haunting vocals from guest singer, Elisa Triana creates a perfect combination of ethereal with brutal in this wall of death inducing track.
Silence and You Get One offer a one-two punch in terms of heaviness. The prior builds up before the latter, which is a great track with an infectious bounce to it that has you pulling some good stank faces along the riffs. You know these tracks are suited perfectly for a live setting as they’re punishingly fun that have you yearn for the sensory overload of flashing lights blinding you in a whirlwind of sweaty bodies. Carved brings about the end of The Volume Series on a victorious note, once again employing a more melodic sound that relieves us from the punishing nature of the aforementioned tracks. It’s easier on the ears as it rounds everything off perfectly and gives Tewers one last chance to flex his ever impressive vocal skills.
The Volume Series is an impressive collection of songs, as you can pinpoint the moments the band were clearly changing or wanting to try out newer aspects of their song writing. While there is a tiny amount of mismatching, it’s really cool to see how they have developed over the last few years. Whilst there are only a couple of misses, there are far more hits that really lift THE PLOT IN YOU to loftier heights, and they can only get higher from here on. We can’t wait for what is next.
Rating: 8/10
The Volume Series is out now via Fearless Records.
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