EP REVIEW: Speak In Tongues – Fixation

Norwegian metalcore band FIXATION follow up their 2023 critically acclaimed debut album More Subtle Than Death with Speak In Tongues, an eight-track EP that proves they’re here to change things up. Having gained success both internationally and in Norway, the band have not let the momentum drop for a moment. They’ve played over sixty international shows in 2023, proving that they have a brilliant work ethic, and at the 2024 Norwegian Publishing Awards, they earned Breakthrough Of The Year award. Internationally, they’ve earned praise from publications such as Kerrang! and bands like BRING ME THE HORIZON. Speak In Tongues could very well be the EP that pushes the band into the mainstream.

{Grow a Flower} is a synth-rock song that kicks off the EP, slowly building momentum throughout the minute and fifteen second runtime before it smoothly transitions into Random Acts Of Violence, which sheds the synths during the first few seconds to become a full-length metalcore track, although the synths do briefly return during the verses.

FIXATION embrace heavy metalcore instrumentals mixed in with singing, although there are some screams thrown in as well. The EP consists of interludes that connect each song together. It helps give the EP a coherent sound and it provides the band the opportunity to experiment. For example, {Pick The Petals} is an eerie electronic-rock track, whereas Blue Skies is a heavy metalcore track. Yet they both work because of the production.

The production on the EP is fantastic because it is so detailed. This is best exemplified on the interludes, which often don’t include vocals, so the audience is confronted with how detailed the interludes are. Whilst the songs are fantastic, sometimes the vocals overwhelm the instruments, making it hard to hear them.

However, this is not the case when it comes to the closing song Fever Dreaming. The song is the longest on the EP as it is six minutes and twenty seconds. Yet it doesn’t drag because it is tightly paced and it is an accumulation of the entire EP as it has both experimental elements and the metalcore sound, which is blended perfectly, making it the highlight of the EP. It shows a more experimental side to the band, and it also hints at what their potential could be in the future.

Overall, Speak In Tongues by FIXATION is a brilliant EP that follows up their phenomenal debut album. By including experimental interludes, the band bridge their metalcore sound with something new and exciting. Furthermore, it helps the EP have a coherent sound as all the songs are different, yet they lead into each other. It is thanks to the production that they do not sound like one long song because it puts emphasise on how different they are. Whilst some of the instrumentals during the songs are overwhelmed by the vocals, the interludes and the closing song more than make up for that. If you’re looking for a fresh take on metalcore, then Speak In Tongues could be the EP for you. FIXATION are truly reinventing the genre.

Rating: 9/10

Speak In Tongues is out now via Indie Recordings.

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