Metalcore has evolved significantly since the early 2000s, with countless bands finding their own creative strategies to embrace the melodic side of the genre without forgetting about its metal roots. Rising up from Marl, Germany, Our Mirage solidify what makes their brand of metalcore special with their somber yet hard-hitting tone as well as their captivating ways of storytelling. Their sophomore album Eclipse (Arising Empire) takes the heavy rock riffing and balances it with atmospheric touches that bring out a certain delicacy amongst the havoc.
The eclectic ‘Awakening’ opens the album with a cut-up vocal sample over a storm of moving synths, guitars and thundering drums. Vocalist Timo Bonner lets his versatility be known right away, delivering smooth raps, soaring melodies and anguished screams. The trickling keys add a haunting thematic appeal that multiplies the impact of the breakdown tenfold. This is a common combination they use to make even their heaviest sides stand out dynamically.
Each song has an underlying ambience amidst the aggression that gives Our Mirage their signature melancholic sound. You can hear gentle guitar strums undertoning the resounding distortion throughout the record. The way these notes are played so delicately stirs feelings of a fragile heart that is masked by a tough exterior, presented by the rumbling guitar chugs. They constantly find new creative ways to utilize this, such as with the satisfying flow from ‘Black Hole’ into ‘Through The Night’ with ethereal guitar echoes and distant-sounding belts to foreshadow the impending chorus.
Spooky interlude ‘Myself’ keeps listeners on their toes with its eerie keys and lofi voice coping with the loss of love. Backed by a gradually intensifying beat, the anticipation builds until dropping straight into ‘Calling You’. Between the impassioned spoken word and despairing screams, this track stands out with one of the most emotional vocal performances of the album.
Ironically, while the title track has some of the record’s softest, most dreamy-sounding passages, it also wields the heaviest breakdown – which they somehow pull off while throwing subtle twinkling notes in the background. What stands out lyrically is the contextual change from each chorus ending with the repeated line “I’m not okay” until the final chorus ending with “I’ll be okay”, followed by the twinkles returning one last time to close the penultimate track. It is often small changes like this that can take a song from emotionally compelling to spiritually uplifting. However, it may have been even more powerful as the album closer. Instead, the record ends with ‘Summertown’, throwing off the vibe with something that would work better as a standalone single. On an album full of heart-rending post-hardcore, an upbeat anthem about summertime fantasies and sunshine just feels out of place.
Minus that one fault, Eclipse is overall a strong album that makes for a distinctive, instantly recognizable sound for Our Mirage. Through their pensive lyrics, lush soundscapes and heavy-hitting vocals, they deliver their style with a confidence that you can either cry to or psych yourself up to.
Buy the album here:
8 / 10
COLLEEN KANOWSKY