This month sees the release of Loathe‘s second album, I Let It In And It Took Everything, following their critically acclaimed 2017 debut, The Cold Sun, and this new record sees the Liverpool metalcore outfit expanding their horizons yet further, intertwining fierce metal breakdowns with ambient synths and shoegaze textures.
Amongst the diverse influences, it’s impossible to ignore the influence of Deftones’ Chino Moreno’s lovesick vocals on lead vocalist Kadeem France—Moreno counts himself a fan of the band too. But there’s so much more going on here and the frontman impressively takes his vocal delivery in a number of unexpected directions throughout the 49-minute album.
Musically, Loathe ably transcend any comparisons to other artists though, creating their own unique blend of soundscapes that can go from Slowdive-like etherealism to brutal attacks that call to mind Code Orange or even Meshuggah.
The closest thing to a potential crossover hit comes in the form of the brilliant Two Way Mirror, a cinematic, mid-paced track with distorted baritone guitar and a calming vocal from France.
The band seem to relish the freedom to bring in unexpected elements, from the sample of a Nina Simone interview on the ambient interlude, 451 Days to the sludgy nu-metal of Screaming. When New Faces In the Dark takes an abrupt left turn from Johnny Marr-like guitar intro to immense Djent riffs, the impact is undeniable.
At their most extreme, such as on Red Room, Loathe lull you into a false sense of security with the intro before turning up the distortion and delivering a punch to the gut as France screams “Lie… Breathe… Feed… withering in jealousy, do you believe that it was ever worth it?”
They end the record with the 5-minute title track. A sprawling song about the feeling of hopelessness with France spitting the lyrics “Hallucinations dissolve into the floor There’s no meaning anymore”. It’s a fitting conclusion from a band that I feel is just scratching the surface of their potential.
To quote one of my friends from Metal Hammer magazine, “Do not sleep on this band!”
Review – Steve Gerrard
Share this :
