Hi there, hello.
Welcome to this review newsletter where we use you as a sounding board for our feelings on music releases. Today we’re looking at Heretic by Spiritwalker.
A collaborative review is something new here but we both had thoughts about this one and wanted to talk to you about it.
Samson
When
told me to listen to Spiritwalker’s debut album, I was certain I had listened to them before, and I went in with expectations that turned out very differently.Spiritwalker is a Metalcore outfit spearheaded by Brandon Marlowe and from the first full track “With Luck, Forward”, it’s easy to tell that this album is straight-up metalcore, with well-done clean vocals on the choruses, good clean mid-range screams, and chunky riffs.
The production and mixing here have the songs sounding quite polished without feeling completely synthetic or electronically generated. For this reason, it’s easy to picture what the songs would sound like live with little effort. The vocals are well-delivered, audible, and aren’t drowned out in the mix. For a debut album from a small outfit like this, the production is really good.
Lyrically, there is a strong declaration of faith that permeates this album. For example, when he screams “…I will burn every idol…” in the aforementioned track or the critique of some of the practices within Christianity today in songs like “False Prophet”, which would have been a favourite song if it had a little less clean singing. I feel like the cleans may have compromised the emotions of the song a bit.
Ultimately, Spiritwalker dropped a good debut album. With its great production, heavy riffage, and quality screaming, I see great potential in the future of this project.
Billy
From where I’m standing, there’s a lot to like about Spiritwalker’s new album. Heretic is a concept album and I have a natural inclination to appreciate records that make an effort to pass one central message.
Heresy has become a hot topic within the Christian metal scene over the last seven to eight years or so. Many new bands — particularly within the core soundscape — have come on the scene with a passion for good doctrine and pulling down false doctrine. I love and admire this message, but when things become a trend, there’s a tendency to hyperfocus, and I’ve noticed that this has stifled the creativity of some projects.
One of the reasons I love this record is because Brandon Marlowe’s approach to the subject feels organic and balanced, with multiple songs that address various sub-themes. “False Prophet” is probably the angriest of the bunch, but there are also songs like “Level” which alludes to the price that needs to be paid to avoid or escape unhealthy relationships or situations. The driving drums and repetitive riffs on the verses create a tense atmosphere that really works for it. I also really like “Blood Brothers” which features Trevor Teichert (of Winter’s Gate) and the way it tackles choices from a different perspective. It might be my favourite on the album. Then, there’s “Hollow” which shows that this band can slow things down and I enjoyed the powerful clean singing here and how it’s written to interplay with the harsh vocals.
Admittedly, I’ve listened to enough modern metalcore to know that Spiritwalker is not breaking any new ground here. Yet, it’s also important to note that not many metalcore bands on the Christian scene are creating records that have this level of mastery and consistency. I believe that Heretic is the perfect springboard to launch this project into a space where it’s established enough to break new ground and grow into its own sound.
Genre(s): Metalcore
RATING
: 3/5
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