ALBUM REVIEW: Ultraviolet – Misery Signals
Esteemed metalcore icons MISERY SIGNALS are making their long-awaited return after a seven year hiatus with Ultraviolet, their fourth full length output on August 7th. The album comes with anticipation from fans to hear the original line-up once more, with Jesse Zaraska’s first contribution to the project since the band’s 2004 debut album, Of Malice and the Magnum Heart.
The album opens with The Tempest, the debut single from Ultraviolet which kicks off the record with the same ardent vocals reminiscent of 2004’s In Response to Stars. It’s a treat to hear MISERY SIGNALS’ original line-up with this level of quality production. It was clear from 2013’s release Absent Light that the band could still achieve that wistful churning metalcore sound with a more polished construction; however Ultraviolet is elevated in their discography. The album fulfils the nostalgic craving that fans are looking for, while still evolving in the MISERY SIGNALS back catalogue, bringing in more nuanced inflections.
Sunlifter, the first track written since the band’s return, combines those familiar technical riffs with a collateral atmospheric bridge, like a more impassioned ALL THAT REMAINS; vocally channelling the likes of Winston McCall with slow, deep vocal fries over energetic hardcore-influenced guitar lines.
The more melodic moments on the record and welcomed warmly, evocative of classic cuts from the band’s discography such as Everything Will Rust and An Offering to the Insatiable Sons of God (Butcher). River King starts with harmonious dual guitar lines, rebirthing those patented repetitive symphonic riffs which collapse into a crashing wall of atmospheric sound. MISERY SIGNALS always hit the mark where many others miss, filling their tracks with the loud and quiet, the aggressive and harmonious, obliterating any danger of these combinations becoming cliché or overproduced.
Old Ghosts is a highlight of the record, delivering classic guitar-driven metal matching the likes of KILLSWITCH ENGAGE or LAMB OF GOD. The songwriting on this album is somewhat indulgent, and almost shows off MISERY SIGNALS‘ ability to carry themselves with vigorous breakdowns and well-positioned riffs. Ultraviolet has evident blends of influences from members’ previous projects, fusing the metalcore traditions of 7 ANGELS 7 PLAGUES, the thrashing pace of COMPROMISE, and the layering of HAMARTIA. The record is satisfying in the nostalgia of old metalcore, nodding its head to early and mid naughties glory days for bands of this ilk.
Cascade Locks is another prime point of the record. The first minute of instrumentation before Zaraska’s vocals enter launch you through a smothering of infectious licks, with a slew of chopping time signatures into perfectly-positioned hooks before bringing the next genre in seamlessly. This track holds no prisoners, relentlessly sprinting through each element as though to put the listening ear through some sort of musical agility course.
The lyrical themes on this record are ones of ambition, striving through struggle and overcoming personal demons. Zaraska had commented that it was his intention to create a more positive album lyrically: “It is a record that purveys a much greater sense of hope than those that preceded it, and I think that as older individuals this was important from the onset of the process.” The record as a whole does feel more seasoned than MISERY SIGNALS‘ previous outputs, both lyrically and instrumentally. 16 years since their inception, the band are still rewriting the rules of the genre and dominating a standard for others to follow, accomplishing the inherent traditions of the genre while excogitating it altogether.
Ultraviolet is a refreshing drop in the new age metalcore pool. MISERY SIGNALS have re-emerged with their pioneering sound, demonstrating the band will not abandon their position in the scene. They have cemented themselves as trailblazers of the metalcore/hardcore synthesis, asserting their high ranking as masters of the sound after seven years away.
Rating: 9/10
Ultraviolet is set for release on August 7th via Basick Records.
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