Dying Wish: Together We Are Strong
When you dive into metalcore’s evolutionary history, the genre is a peculiar one to say the least. After catapulting itself into the spotlight in the early 2000s, largely thanks to the work of KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, UNEARTH, SHADOWS FALL and so forth, the cross-breed of hardcore and metal welcoming pop sensibilities and a squeaky clean, albeit predictable approach, in the 2010s caused the sub-genre to be as derivative as it was a quick humorous punch in heavy music circles across the globe. Despite the commercial success, recent years have seen the genre recapture its frenetic and adrenaline-surging ethos and none capture this better than DYISH WISH.
“The current scene is thriving,” vocalist Emma Boster shares about the state of metalcore in the here and now. “There’s inclusivity, diversity, so many awesome bands and a solid community foundation. Especially in our own hometown of Portland. I have never seen so many kids eager and coming out to shows. I feel honoured to contribute.”
Indeed, the space in which DYING WISH occupy today compared to what came before reflects the goodwill and natural throwback the genre has experienced in recent years. A cursory listen to the band’s crushing debut, Fragments Of A Bitter Memory, highlights the amalgamation of nostalgic throwback and forward-thinking ideas. Severing The Senses swings with 2000s metalcore rhythm before demonstrating Bolster’s dynamic vocal range whilst Innate Thirst is an absolute rager that would have every heavy music fan surging with adrenaline. “Fragments Of A Bitter Memory has a nostalgic metalcore sound reminiscent of the early 2000s era with our very own refreshing take on the genre,” Emma tells us when we probe into the sound that lies within their debut record. “We all come from a hardcore background and aim to carry the ethics of our scene into the metal community and beyond. We draw riff inspiration from veterans like AT THE GATES, THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, AS I LAY DYING and more. It was absolutely intentional.”
Intentional or not, there’s enough quality within Fragments Of A Bitter Memory to showcase that DYING WISH are a truly exciting prospect. And yet, for all their musical fury, dig beneath the surface and there’s a greater message at play. Akin to Emma highlighting that the band wish to embody the ethics of hardcore, Fragments Of A Bitter Memory lyrically is a encapsulating listen. Dig beneath the surface and the record is a reflection of the turbulent times we live in; as DYING WISH leave no stone unturned, channelling their rage towards environmental issues, trauma, the tragic loss of friends and more. “The process of a handful of the songs on the record were quite cathartic,” Emma tells us when we approach the lyric content that lies within Fragments Of A Bitter Memory. “The title track and Severing The Senses especially. I’ve been wanting to write a song about the experience I speak about in the title track for well over a decade. When I first heard the demos of the riffs I knew this was the moment. The song is essentially about my experience growing up with an abusive step father who was an alcoholic. Every day felt like hell for many years in my childhood and it has caused me to suffer with mental illness as an adult. It felt like a weight was lifted when the song was done because I finally was able to speak my truth. Severing The Senses was written while I was watching many women in the scene come forward about their experiences with abuse. As a survivor myself I was compelled by their stories and, although it’s difficult to talk about, the song is so meaningful and did help me to process my grief. I hope there were a few listeners out there that felt positively impacted.”
Reflective yet empowering, there’s no doubting there is a hefty amount of weight behind the lyrics that Emma unleashes alongside her bandmates. It makes for a truly euphoric listen but one wonders did she experience anything of a catharsis as she penned her frustrations to sheet music? As much as this is a honest question to ask, Emma‘s answer is one that reflects the band’s much greater ambition of the aforementioned hardcore ethos of collectivity and unity. “I believe all of the topics addressed are related in one way or another,” she says. “There is so much suffering in the world inflicted upon us because of socio-political-economic injustices happening everywhere. These songs were written with survivors of all kinds in mind and the power we hold together.”
With Fragments Of A Bitter Memory, DYING WISH have not just produced a stand-out metal debut of 2021, it’s a statement of intent; a message that should have the scene on standby. A record of sheer malic, it bodes well for this exciting prospect and judging from Emma’s response for the future, we can’t wait to see what lies in wait. “We wanted to write a record with songs that young bands will be covering in decades to come. Many bands out there have legendary debut LPs and we wanted to join that club.” A strong statement and one we can get behind. Remember the name, remember DYING WISH.
Fragments Of A Bitter Memory is out now via SharpTone Records.
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