ALBUM REVIEW: You Will Be The Death Of Me – Light The Torch

Since debuting in 2012 under the moniker DEVIL YOU KNOW, Howard Jones‘ post-KILLSWITCH ENGAGE band LIGHT THE TORCH has been steadily going from strength to strength, rising through the metal scene hoping for that big breakthrough to take them to that next level. After the rebrand, they altered their sound slightly and ultimately grew as musicians.  Their debut album Revival was just that.

Rising from the ashes of their past brand and starting to build towards something greater. It was chock full of chunky riffs and arena-sized choruses that for the most part worked really well. There were times that it felt a little disjointed with it giving off a supergroup vibe where the members came together for an epic jam session rather than completely connecting as a well-oiled unit. Luckily for LIGHT THE TORCH, You Will Be the Death Of Me is a step up from Revival, and features some of the band’s most striking and emotional tracks to date.

The album doesn’t pull any punches straight from the get-go as the opening track More Than Dreaming hits you with a pummelling riff. Howard Jones has one of the most distinguished voices in all of metal and as soon as he breaks into the first chorus for the masses of the album it’s truly euphoric. He sings with such conviction and power it’s hard not to sit up and take notice. The anthemic Let Me Fall Apart is an early album highlight that boasts one of the best choruses the band have created to date. The background “woah-ohs” bellowing behind his soaring vocals will easily be a live favourite to come. The lyrics throughout the album are generally quite dark and listening to the tracks through a few times, you really start to get sucked into the stories that each song recites through Howard’s viewpoint.  

But it’s not all about HoJo! Bassist Ryan Wombacher [BLEEDING THROUGH]‘s low-end rolls like thunder through Wilting In The Dark and End Of The World, giving the band that heavier edge. Speaking of heavier, for anyone curious as to whether you’d hear Jones‘ harsh vocals, look no further than Living With A Ghost. The verses showcase the recently acquired talents of WHITECHAPEL‘s Alex Rudiger on drums as he lets loose while Jones spits with ferocity over the top (sometimes you forget the dude is 50 and is still able to bring the screams like it’s the early KILLSWITCH days).  

Unfortunately, it’s at this point a few cracks start to show. Listeners will soon start to realise that they’re able to predict the direction the tracks will go as it all becomes very formulaic and safe. Each chorus follows a very similar melody and structure. It becomes increasingly difficult to differentiate a lot of the tracks, especially towards the conclusion of the album. Something Deep Inside is a throwaway track that doesn’t feature anything memorable, while I Hate Myself hits hard lyrically but feels like a lesser version of Let Me Fall Apart.  

Denying The Sin is heavy enough and catchy, but again fails to leave a lasting impression and it’s all a bit “haven’t we already heard this one?”. Come Back To The Quicksand luckily saves itself in its final stretch and the cover of Terence Trent D’Arby’s 80’s banger Sign Your Name is a faithful rendition that is done tastefully but is an odd choice to end on.  

You Will Be The Death Of Me is a perfect follow-up to Revival that shows the band growing as a unit, even if Jones is still the shining star here. Each song is an anthem in its own right, but the album ultimately falters with its formulaic and predictable song structures, which means many tracks get lost in the ether. Howard Jones still has one of the greatest voices in metal and if they can take a few more risks in the future in terms of song-writing, they’ll be all the better for it.  

Rating: 7/10

You Will Be The Death Of Me is set for release on June 25th via Nuclear Blast Records. 

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