With four years since the last album, metalcore lovers from the 2010s Warped Tour days have been eager to hear more from one of the community’s most prominent bands Memphis May Fire. After taking a more hard rock-leaning detour with their last record, Broken in 2018, the Texan four-piece are back to their post-hardcore roots with seventh album Remade In Misery (Rise Records). Giving a new taste of the sound that earned them most of their fans in their early years, Memphis puts in the same amount of heart we heard from them in the days of The Hollow and Challenger, but now with a newfound self-assurance and poise.
Opener ‘Blood & Water’ is an immediate indication of the return to their old style, practicing the customary metalcore method of heavy verses, a melodic chorus and slow build into a roaring breakdown. While some of the tracks follow this formula with a polished application, others begin scratching the surface of alternative elements. Sections of ‘The American Dream’ and ‘Left For Dead’ blur the lines between metal and electronic, blending synths in with such stealth that they almost go unnoticed.
Despite being one of the band’s heaviest records yet, pop influences occasionally sneak their way in alongside the chugging guitars and burning screams. ‘Somebody’ demonstrates how seamlessly pop melodies and metalcore instrumentals can work together if executed properly. Even with lighter songs such as this and the dynamic ‘Make Believe’, Memphis May Fire prove there’s nothing they can’t fit a breakdown into.
In standout track ‘Misery’, vocalist Matty Mullins utilizes a gripping combination of vocal styles including rapping, singing and raspy yells. His steadfast spirit radiates through every word of the chorus as he sings of growing through the pain, “When I go through hell, that’s where I find myself, remade in misery.” With its bleeding determination to blossom through the suffering and create something meaningful, there’s no question how this anthem earned its place as the title track.
‘Only Human’ is a rhythmic rager speaking out against judgmental groups with a holier-than-thou attitude. It features Fire From the Gods’ AJ Channer who trades sections with Mullins through the whole song, keeping a consistently well-balanced vocal contrast from start to finish. The counterpoint created between Channer’s strapping delivery and guitarist Kellen McGregor’s tumultuous flow makes for the perfect penultimate track energy before slowing things down for closer ‘The Fight Within’. This song holds a uniform electronic tone throughout, yet slowly evolves it into rising levels. It eventually flourishes into what seems like its final booming chorus, only to suddenly deescalate into the lone sound of Mullins’ vocoded voice singing it one last time.
Throwing things back a decade while still showing their development as songwriters, Remade In Misery is one that old-school Memphis May Fire fans will find a unique appreciation for. If you’re craving something new yet always thirsty for nostalgia, give this one a spin.
Buy the album here: https://riserecords.lnk.to/MMF
7 / 10
COLLEEN KANOWSKY