ALBUM REVIEW: To The Wolves – Stitched Up Heart

Los Angeles hard rock quartet STITCHED UP HEART are clearly experienced in the alternative music scene. Formed in 2010, over the last 13 years the band have become recognised for their deeply personal style of songwriting and outstanding live performances, as well as their clever blend of hard rock, alternative metal and industrial influences. After the release of three EPs – Stitched Up Heart, Escape The Nightmare and Skeleton Key – they released their debut LP Never Alone back in 2016, followed by Darkness four years later, and now their upcoming third album To The Wolves, courtesy of Century Media Records.

This latest release sees STITCHED UP HEART further push their personal musical boundaries, refusing to conform to a particular genre. To The Wolves is also not short of famous collaborators with ESCAPE THE FATE‘s vocalist Craig Mabbitt joining the group on the title track and lead guitarist Kevin Thrasher given the task of producing the single. Mitchell Marlow was also in charge of producing the record, previously working with other successful bands such as IN THIS MOMENT, STARSET and ALL THAT REMAINS. The aforementioned title track opens the record, and its introduction immediately seizes attention with an industrial style guitar riff at the helm. This intrigue carries on into an infectious chorus which keeps the listener on their toes and ensures that the album starts on a strong note.

Next up is Thunder, which really showcases lead vocalist Alecia Demner‘s fantastic vocal range. Even though the song isn’t quite as memorable as the last, the guitar work from Merritt Goodwin really does the track justice. The Hunting is on a similar level with not much to differentiate it from what we have heard so far. Possess Me begins with some more catchy guitar work, before leaping into the initial verse with Demner‘s vocals sounding similar to IN THIS MOMENT‘s Maria Brink. It is also great to witness her stretching her vocal ability with her effective unclean vocals here too. Immortal follows, which is quite a bit heavier in comparison to the previous. There is also a large comparison between Demner and Brink again in terms of vocal style.

Taste For Blood is up next, which contains further industrial influences. The chorus is reminiscent of something that MOTIONLESS IN WHITE would produce. Conquer And Divide is similar in nature, but unfortunately doesn’t feature many redeeming qualities that would make it one worth coming back to. Dead Inside is the polar opposite. The song contains more fantastic guitar work and has a great chorus, which is certain to stick in your head for months to come. The Architect and Part Of Me are both just as forgettable of some of the previous tracks. The finale is The End. This last track also leaves a lot to be desired – the album could be finished off in a much better way.

Overall, To The Wolves isn’t necessarily a bad record, it just lacks originality. The band sound like a fusion of IN THIS MOMENT and a female-fronted MOTIONLESS IN WHITE. Even though there are some stand out tracks such as Dead Inside and the title track, the majority of this album is pretty lacklustre in comparison. STITCHED UP HEART could do with finding their own unique sound without deliberately trying to become a carbon copy of other well known artists in the industry.

Rating: 6/10

To The Wolves is set for release on September 1st via Century Media Records.

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