Irish alternative metallers Words that Burn have been featured a few times in these pages. Even so, they are off my beaten path when it comes to musical taste. It’s been almost a year from when I last covered them with their “When We’re Forgotten” video which I described as “breathtaking”. Fast forward to Spring 2019 and Words That Burn have been very busy in the studio recording for their next album due later this year. They have also let it be known that they are evolving into an even bigger monster and creating a sound that identifies where the band are now. To all Words That Burn fans, this may ring alarm bells wondering if they have gone all glam metal or have they went even more extreme than they already were. Let’s find out…
The first thing to note is “When We’re Forgotten” is meant to be an indication as to where the band is heading. What I did not expect was the sheer scale to which Words That Burn’s sound has developed – it is so much heavier, but at the same time still sound like Words That Burn. We still have the groove of guitar from Shane, which just gets you off your arse to jump around the living room or on the dancefloor in the nightclub.
For those that don’t like to dance like the old foggies like myself, bang your head along with drummer Jason who hits the snare so hard, he cripples the band’s budget for a new snare after every gig. Bassist Ger, with his eagle eyes and ears, makes sure that the band are kept in unison and they don’t dare step out of line. The keyboards throughout the track are enlightening and enhance the track in the same way that Enter Shikari use them, and I think the keys fit this track very well, as they did with “When We’re Forgotten”.
It is with Roni’s vocals that I feel we find the biggest change, they’re much more harsh and in your face than before, and yet, when it comes to the mellow parts, he has never sounded so good. It must be something to do with this Vocalzone that he is taking, as being able to change vocal chords in an instant takes practice and skill.
For the current fans of Words That Burn, I would not worry too much about the direction that the band are taking with this new song. Yes, they may be harsher in most aspects but they still have all the traits that they had before, and it is still Words That Burn. The band have new stories to tell and they have certainly upped the ante with this one and as a taster for the new album, if this is anything to go by, it’s going to be a stormer. Well played, lads!
“Arise” is out now
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