Admittedly, I’ve never been much into metalcore – with a few exceptions – before last year, when someone dear to me gave me a deep-dive into their favorite bands, among which included ASKING ALEXANDRIA. While I’d known the band’s name for years and years, I’d never made a point of listening to them before last year, when I discovered that they’ve actually got some great material that really hits home, including the fresh “new” single featuring Sharon den Adel of WITHIN TEMPTATION fame, “Faded Out,” which was a remake of the 2020 song from “See What’s on the Inside.” Since the person who introduced them to me passed away this summer, it seemed like a more-than-appropriate time to check out “Where Do We Go from Here?”, which will be out on August 25th, 2023, via Better Noise Music.
Metalcore, for me (at least before last year), was always something a bit too emo to really relate to, though the more depressed I’ve gotten and the harder a time I’ve had with life, the more solace I’ve been able to find in metalcore, which came to its peak last year. As such, this release was exciting to listen to, to see how the band are evolving in their methods of dealing with life, as well as how it relates to my own life and losses.
The album wastes no time as it starts with “Bad Blood,” with a 2-second intro before punching you in the face with its punishing stomping thrash, blended with soft, melodic moments that create contrast and texture from the get-go, which is a constant on this release. It’s one hell of a banger to open the album with, though that might be a little biased because I’m a sucker for a marching beat, though others will likely enjoy the thrashy section even more than myself.
“Things Could Be Different” hit a little too hard to home, as this song could be written by me to the person who introduced me to this band. Okay, perhaps the harsh and true lyrics are what really make metalcore explode, as well as heavily resonate with neurodivergents like myself. Surely, I learned a lot in hindsight about what happened and things could be different now, but that won’t happen because they’re gone from this world. Oh, and the music that goes with those words really slaps, so there’s also that.
They take a bit of a different turn with “Let the Dead Take Me,” and brings older ASKING ALEXANDRIA sounds to mind. The regular light tempo changes are nice, adding little segments here and there for extra flavor, while the dank, stomping chorus really makes me want to mosh dangerously. “Psycho” is such a straight-up, slightly poppy banger that it almost feels like this song has been in the band’s discography for longer than it has been. Relatable, once again, to neurodivergents, this song has the vibe of owning your flaws, but seems to not glorify being in pain the way some bands do, which I appreciate.
Things slow down a little with “Nothing Left,” at least in the beginning, before it punches you in the ear-balls with full force. Once again, I’m sorry that press copies don’t come with lyrics, because I’d be very interested in diving deeper into what these guys were talking about. This is pretty straightforward, but don’t take that to mean it’s boring; quite far from it, it’s yet another heavy banger. Speaking of heavy, that’s the main adjective to use to describe “Dark Void,” which bounces back and forth between being utterly crushing and very melodic.
“Let Go” has a melancholic and softer intro, yet is still very driven and expresses a lot of pain, hitting home right in that harsh spot for people who have lost others in painful ways. “Feel” is another slower-ish song, though with the relentlessness of the instruments, it’s impossible to call it any sort of ballad. “Kill It with Fire” is an insane moshpit banger that doesn’t even last 2 minutes, but you can quite easily tell that this is a track to get energy out to, one way or the other.
“Holding onto Something More” is a gentler track with a little more hopefulness to it, making the album feel like something of a journey through the harder times to something nicer. Rather than pressing down with darkness, this track helps lift the listener up and feels generally lighter. The album then ends on a powerful melodic note with the album’s title track, “Where Do We Go from Here?” Acoustic guitars and the vocals lead the track, which hit a little too close to home after losing the person who introduced me to this band… it really does sound like a song written from the perspective of someone who lost someone dear to them. Knowing these guys, chances are, they understand the feeling of loss very well, and this song is proof of it.
Overall, this is an album that hits hard right away, but still has a lot to offer on repeated listens. Though the musical side is pretty traditional ASKING ALEXANDRIA, the lyrics and nuances are still there to be explored, meaning this is definitely an album that’s going to keep on giving. Admittedly, I’m not the most objective on this one, circumstances considering, but there’s absolutely something therapeutic about listening to an album like this while grieving. And even if you’re not grieving, you should still probably check it out, because it’s really solid from start to finish, just sayin’!
Written by Bear Wiseman
Tracklist
- Bad Blood
- Things Could Be Different
- Let the Dead Take Me
- Psycho
- Nothing Left
- Dark Void
- Let Go
- Feel
- Kill it with Fire
- Hold On to Something More
- Where Do We Go from Here?
Lineup
Danny Worsnop – vocals
Ben Bruce – lead guitars
Cameron Liddell – rhythm guitars
Sam Bettley – bass
James Cassells – drums
Label
Better Noise Music
