Having enjoyed the relative mediocrity of lead single On The Run, the bands newest and eight full length offers little more than the same tone set by its lead up release. By Night might parade past with a few scenic interludes and Synthwave adjacent electronic sparkles but the core of its music is as to be expected. The group aim sights on the more approachable spectrum of modern metal with simple song structures, attempting catchy hooks. Front man Shawter's rough and ragged singing struggles with them at every turn, his screams during aggressive stints competent but when reaching for cleans and melodic his ragged delivery lacks both tone and ability.
The record plays into a typical Synthwave theme, the nightlife, lit by neon lights which the lyrics quite explicitly state on one of the songs. It gives the music an easy vibe, something that passes by swiftly with little effort as the sways between jolts of stomping groove and moody, drawn out power chord strumming. The latter is where the main melodies hinge, often with the aid of subtle electronics that reinforce the vision through aesthetic. Its somewhat weak however, not finding a magic.
I've enjoyed each listen but I have been far from impressed or even excited. At this stage the band are in a comfort zone, lurking in the shadows of Metals drive into more Pop adjacent sensibilities. On all fronts its mediocrity at best. Nothing offensive but lacking any melodies that grab or even heavy grooves as most the bombast and low end guitar riffing ends up cornered by the mid tempo drives the album cruises on consistently. What their trying to achieve beyond proven means isn't paying off.
Rating: 4/10