Like Moths To Flames: Keeping The ‘Core
For more than a decade, US-based outfit LIKE MOTHS TO FLAMES have been producing savage metalcore. Through the genre’s boom in the 2010s the group were a constant on Rise Records touring circuits, hitting the road with bands like WE CAME AS ROMANS, THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA, and TEXAS IN JULY. While they might not have reached the heights of those bands, LIKE MOTHS TO FLAMES have earned a reputation for consistency, becoming a mainstay of the metalcore scene through various member changes.
In 2017, the band experimented with some radio-friendly sounds on the expansive Dark Divine, winning them some new fans in the process. Far from going mainstream, the band returned from a break in 2020 with the crushing No Eternity In Gold, a record with all the devastating intensity of metalcore’s toughest customers. Releasing amid the heights of the COVID-19 pandemic, this unrelenting record will no doubt have resonated with the frustration many fans felt during this difficult time. It wasn’t an easy time for the band either, having produced one of their most cohesive albums to date and not being able to tour for it.
“We recorded it January to February,” says rhythm guitarist Zach Pishney. “So we had maybe a couple of weeks at home before the pandemic happened. We had planned for a co-headliner tour with some other awesome bands but obviously, that came to a halt. It eventually just got to the point where we were like, ‘yo, shit’s not getting better, we should just put the record out.’ There’s no sense in waiting once it’s done.”
But now that shows have returned the band are back on the top of their game, and fresh off a tour with August Burns Red, they have released a blistering five-track EP, Pure Like Porcelain. “EPs are a nice chance to get a little bit weird or experimental,” says Pishney, who joined the band in 2016. “You can do what you want without having to commit to a full-length. We had been writing since the last record came out so we had a lot of material to pull from.”
The record certainly sees the band letting loose and embracing their heavier side. Opener Ameliorate encompasses this with its grooving riffs that set the stage for a massive breakdown – of course, ushered in by a satisfyingly throaty cry of “BLEGH!” As well as letting rip on the heaviness, the band also experimented with different guitar tones and song structures.
“Views From Halfway Down was the first song we’ve ever done in the tuning A. Do Not Resuscitate is more ambient. The band is mostly ominous and brutal, with a lot of heavy breakdowns, but that song provides a different atmosphere that the band hasn’t touched on. The reception has been amazing so far,” Pishney continues. “It’s been amazing to see all the positive comments from fans and super rewarding as we tried some new things.”
The new musical elements also gave vocalist Chris Roetter scope to explore some new themes, with his lyrics reaching even darker depths than the band’s usually weighty subject matter. Roetter explores the psyche of someone about to commit suicide on Views From Halfway Down and explores the cynicism of nihilism on Do Not Resuscitate.
“We always write the music first and that sets the tone for what Chris will write about,” explains the guitarist. “With this EP touching on some more atmospheric and ambient stuff it gave Chris more of a platform than just the narrow box of metalcore.”
One thing that is striking about LIKE MOTHS TO FLAMES is their dedication to producing teeth-shatteringly heavy metalcore. In a genre where almost all of their contemporaries have gone in a more radio-friendly direction, Moths are exploring deeper into the darkness.
“The first record I got to write on was Dark Divine and that was our record of trying – I don’t want to say some radio rock – but something more accessible. We explored larger hooks and better choruses on that record which helped with future releases. But that came off the heaviest record they did, where they drop-tuned to G! So it was cool to have those two dynamics back to back. After Dark Divine there was a conscious decision of, ‘hey I just want to write this kind of shit.'”
Now, LIKE MOTHS TO FLAMES are looking to hit the road again and give Pure Like Porcelain and No Eternity In Gold their time to shine on stage. “We’re always writing but plans for us right now are to do some more touring, show No Eternity in Gold and Pure Like Porcelain some love and let people hear a good chunk of those songs live. After we’ve done all that, I would love to figure out some studio time and start working on LP 6.”
Pure Like Porcelain is out now via UNFD.
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