While many people are starting to wind down for the festive period, their Album of the Year lists all but signed off on, German metalcore quintet Rising Insane are just getting started. Their new album ‘Afterglow’ is full to the rafters with brutal metalcore bangers, so, as per usual, fans of the likes of While She Sleeps’ ‘You Are We’, and the heady choruses of Bury Tomorrow will have much to be merry about this festive season. But also, there is some evidence of a development in the band’s sound on this record, as they are able to leave tracks a little more space to breathe, and arguably producing some of their finest work yet as a result.
If it’s fist-swinging brutality that you’re after from your metalcore, then there is more than enough here to satisfy even the most insatiable of musical appetites. From the likes of ‘Breakout’, whose bounding melody line is guaranteed to result in a few broken noses in the pit, to ‘Oxygen’, where the wailing claxons in the opening few seconds are very much paramount, as from then on, scything metallic guitars and thunderous drums come raining down like relentless hailstones, there are sucker-punches galore across these twelve thrashing tracks.
However, there are small moments of crystallised clarity, forged in amongst the pressure-cooker environment of these melodies. Initially, rattling electronic drums roll like a rousing call to arms in the opening moments of title track ‘Afterglow’, before the track explodes into a fierce, undulating wall of fury; for such a delicately titled song, there is venom oozing from every vocal line. Yet on the choruses, the grandiose clean vocals elevate the chorus of the track to fist-pumping heights, which provides a welcome contrast to the bullying guitar tones. The same can be said of ‘War’. Meatier and gruntier than much of the record in some areas, in particular its low, demonic unclean vocals, the lyrics force their way through and find space to breathe in the (albeit short-lived!) ethereal bridge. These little breaks in Rising Insane’s iron-clad armour are a testament to the way they are maturing as musicians, and finding space for vulnerability in amongst the raging chaos.
Nowhere is this more apparent than in the lyrical content of some of the most impactful tracks on the record. While the frothing venom is present and correct in the uncleans on ‘Flightless Bird’, the imagery of birds with clipped wings, unable to reach the heights they dream of, is nothing short of beautiful. Even when it comes to the likes of ‘Meant to Live’, which pulls no punches when it comes to fierce instrumentation, has a heart of gold at its centre, with a rousing, uplifting message to partner the frenetic energy in the bridge. Crowning them all, however, is undoubtedly ‘Broken Homes’. Striking the balance perfectly between catharsis and heartache, you can feel the palpable pain in each and every line that tears from vocalist Aaron Steineker’s throat. Despite all that loss and trauma, however, the message here is clear – through their music, he is ‘saving myself from a broken home’ and aiming to become a reminder to others that ‘you are not alone’ – which, after all, is what music, and heavy music especially, is all about; finding the family you choose.
It is undeniable that a large part of this record is singing from a very similar hymn sheet, and for some, they may argue that this is definitely a case of having too much of a good thing. However, there are some gems on ‘Afterglow’ that make it well worth a listen – and, for those who can’t get enough of thrashing metalcore riffs, this may become a new favourite.
‘Afterglow’ is due for release on the 10th of December via Longbranch Records – pre-order the record here.
