Like Moths To Flames is on fire. It’s rare for a metalcore band that’s been around for almost 15 years to hit their stride so late in the game, but LMTF’s last couple releases have been unbelievably good.
Often, metalcore bands’ efforts to expand their style result in disaster. But after their 2015 album, LMTF had to do something. They had taken their core sound as far as it would go. While it had produced classics like “GNF” and “Bury Your Pain,” the hits were becoming fewer and farther between.
‘Dark Divine’ in 2017 reignited the band’s creative spark and laid the blueprint for their future efforts. It divided LMTF’s discography into two eras, and that’s important because very few metalcore greats from ages past have successfully reinvented their sound while staying squarely within metalcore. It’s basically just Like Moths To Flames and The Devil Wears Prada. Both bands were pillars of the scene in 2012, drastically changed sounds, and are arguably more exciting than ever right now.
Part of that successful transformation is the elevation of their artistry. If we’re being honest, early LMTF albums are relatively basic and straightforward. That’s not necessarily bad – that’s what made them fun! But their more recent albums have an artistic feel – an element of beauty typically reserved for bands like Invent Animate.
The other change that’s taking LMTF to new heights is Chris Roetter’s vocals. You can hear him become a better, stronger vocalist on every single Moths record and I think he is easily one of the best vocalists in the genre right now. His most notable development on this album is the occasional tinge of evilness to his screams. His vocals have always been charged with emotion, but there’s a new element of malice. He started doing it on the ‘Pure Like Porcelain’ EP and it’s especially noticeable this time around on tracks like “Angels Weep” and “Paradigm Trigger.” At times, it’s almost disconcerting to hear LMTF be this heavy.
The instruments also do a great job mirroring the aggression of the vocals. ‘The Cycles Of Trying To Cope’ is probably LMTF’s darkest record so far. It may not be super apparent on its own, but if you compare it to ‘No Eternity In Gold,’ you’ll see some major differences in the overall mood and atmosphere. ‘The Cycles Of Trying To Cope’ has an element of chaos, especially instrumentally, that adds to the gloom. “Over The Garden Wall” is a great example.
The one trade off on this album is the choruses. Normally, Chris is a master at crafting unbelievably catchy choruses, but these ones aren’t hooking me. It’s a weird complaint because I don’t normally put a lot of stock in clean singing, but choruses have become such a fun part of LMTF’s recent releases that their absence is felt on this record.
I hold all of LMTF’s recent releases in such high regard that it’s difficult to rank them. I appreciate the intensity of this album, but the increased chaos and heaviness came at the expense of catchiness. I fear that some of the deeper cuts may get washed away over time because they lack a defining, memorable moment. While this may not be the best LMTF record of all time, it’s not far off. It keeps their streak of insane releases alive and shows that they continue to fire on all cylinders even while exploring new avenues. It’s only a matter of time until they find a way to merge the darkness of this album with the melody of ‘Dark Divine’ and ‘No Eternity In Gold.’
Like Moths To Flames // The Cycles Of Trying To Cope
Categories: Reviews
