The twinkling of starlight, and the withering of flower petals as there’s a shift in movement; our minds conjure up The Fear of Fear. Springing onto the scene after a subtle start, Spiritbox‘s pandemic blaster “Holy Roller” caught eyes and ears, locking all on a sensational new metal sound. While early drops like “Rule of Nines” were grandly received by the band’s fans, it wasn’t until 2020’s uproar and all its remixes got the audience to sit in silence – waiting.

Spiritbox‘s latest EP The Fear of Fear drops familiar soundscapes and senses while hammering us with some of their heaviest works to date. While 2021’s Eternal Blue LP shattered critics’ and industry expectations The Fear of Fear brings in a raw, and wild feel to its 6-track reveal, cleansing emotions and offering fans a new faovurite across the board.

“Cellar Door” ‘s reveal was nothing short of jaw-dropping; with an infectious new melody matched by Courtney’s raw, and aggressive vocals to match.

“Time is always there to catch my fall. I carry it in something beautiful. I turn the key into my burial. A cellar door into my open soul,” not only opens the door to the horrors we must face but, listeners’ ears are tuned to an alluring and hypnotizing sound.

This track dabbles on notes of horror noise, whispered rumours, and haunting bass that drags like the skeletons along cellar walls. It shifts from low and suspenseful to dropping in one of the heaviest breakdowns of today, giving old and new fans a breathless release on the Spiritbox they know. Easily sitting on my top 3 from this release (and I struggled to pick only 3) this song is a daily on my playlist, and one I have cranked to the max.

“Jaded” takes the cyberpunk tunage of Eternal Blue familiarity and enhances it with swift riffs and drumming in the deep. Courtney’s vocals take the high, and soothing route that’s captured fans’ hearts, dabbling in the heavy bouts of passion to keep the energy from dwindling.

“And I’ve always been ashamed that I wanna fall into a dream with my honour. Desecrated. Blood is jaded,” is only a taste of the masterful lyricism and depth that’s put into this track.

“Jaded” offers reflection and mysticism, the emotions faced by desire within, and fans’ quickly ate it up, resonating with its sorrowful sound and its intimate feel.

“Too Close/Too Late” once again encompasses that classic Spiritbox sound that’s captivated the many. It’s catchy, and easy to follow yet filled with longing and depth. An illustrious composition with a balanced melody that moves from tantalizing lows to feverish highs to gain favour from even the most peculiar of palettes.

“Is this the end of is this the beginning?“

A shadowed room with doors illuminated down an endless hallway, knowing the path you want is behind a door at your side, but the anxiety of that ‘open door’ is just too kuch to bear just yet. The moment passes, and you’re left wandering once more through the corridor of your own consequence.

The song “Angel Eyes” comes on a heavy and ominous vibe, regaining strength and hitting us with that heavy metal sound. Courtney takes the vocal precedence offering unyielded aggression and brutality, backed by a menacing melody with broadening intensity.

“Innocence is a game that I have lost,” is absolutely powerful in a manner conveyed not only by the surrounding lyricism but by the multitude of meaning that could be interpreted by the imaginative mind.

It’s speedy and weighted, with the favoured metal feel fans are slowly becoming more attuned to. Combining shattering melody and vicious lyrical composition, this track is an easy favourite for Spiritbox veterans, and the newbies now coming for a taste of their classic form.

My favourite of the EP “The Void” conveys so much emotional power that it hits both heavy and airy. Like a warm breeze that turns into a gust, the sense of power in control and release is both joyful and haunting.

A track that could easily be interpreted by imagination, its the essence in leaving this world and obeying the ‘call of the void’ that somehow seems so relieving. The last step, the place where we can finally feel as if we belong even if its no longer a part of this world.

In the same sense, it’s the power behind the upbeat music that makes this same track sound like an escape. From the abuse, the misery and misunderstanding and feeling “a sense of control in my life,” as we yearn for someone to guide the way, hand in hand. The ferryman, the lover, the contradicting comparison that leaves this song mysterious and yet unbelievably captivating, still soaring on my playlist since its debut.

The final track on this EP, with its recent music video release, is “Ultraviolet“. Coming in playful and wispy, this track brings warmth to a cold and concrete evening sky.

Once again we take a mellow stance, swaying in the dreamy sound and velvety lyrics. It’s simple, boasted by the repetitive pre-chorus that leads into a deepened lore of self-discovery and realization, where we turn back the tides and stare into a mirror of choice. We embrace our dreams, the place where we can find those moments to relive; to start again and hope perhaps in another life we take a better path, but will it be distant or ever further? We pray for the end in this time, to one where “I dream, I die,” and this world comes anew. A life again with more choices to make, and more opportunity for learning and mistakes.

An EP totally encompassed by complexity, growth, and evolution that conveys an array of experience through sundering sound and brilliant lyrical composition. The Fear of Fear – from the elegant vocals to the menacing instrumentals, this EP is as deep as an entire LP and gives fans, both old and new, something to call their own.

Spiritbox can only ascend, even within the demonic shadows they may offer in sound and vocal prowess, bolstering their discography but also their presence.

It’s an EP with multiple listens, one that’s got me hooked for many more replays to come.

You can grab your own copy of Spiritbox‘s EP The Fear of Fear via Bandcamp!

Top tracks: The Void, Cellar Door, Too Close/Too Late

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