Eternal Blue

Spiritbox

Spiritbox's debut record, Eternal Blue, feels like a long time coming. After iwrestledabearonce dissolved after the release of 2015's Hail Mary, vocalist Courtney LaPlante and guitarist Mike Stringer wasted no time building the rep of Spiritbox; releasing numerous singles and EPs. Their hustle paid off as they would go on to sign with Rise Records in 2020. Which leads us to Eternal Blue, a groove heavy, mainstream, digitally futuristic, metalcore record that can flip carelessly between serene and violent at the drop of a dime.

The record gets off to an okay start with the track Hurt You and Yellowjacket. The former feels kinda familiar, something 'old hat' at this point, but it does have this very uncomfortable air about it with the unsettling synths hanging in the background and talk of mutual assured destruction. I do love how this song transitions right into Yellowjacket, where up until Sam Carter's (of Architects fame) entrance, is some of the most exciting work on this album. I love how the heavy punches are hastily cut off at varying lengths during the sections with this stuttering atonal synth. The riff once this song really kicks in is pretty filthy; instantly engaging the coveted stank face. Now it's not that I don't like Sam Carter. I think he gave a great feature, but upon his entrance is when this song goes back to that typical, mainstream, 'safe' metalcore sound which kills the excitement the song built in its first few moments.

The album for me really doesn't hit a stride until we get to the halfway point, starting with Silk in the Strings. There are so many good riffs on this track and Courtney's screams are relentless. Really though, this is just a warm up for Holy Roller which is the most 'wall-of-death-get-your-face-caved-in-spit-your-tooth-out' track of 2021 (well technically it was released as a single in 2020 but it was probably the heaviest song of that year too). This track sees perhaps the most dynamic screaming performance from Courtney on the record, incredibly detuned guitars, an atmosphere even more unsettling than Hurt You, and features really cool electronic build ups with jungle beats and broken glass. The following two tracks, Eternal Blue and We Live In a Strange World, are much needed cool down moments. Both feature really sweet vocal or synth melodies that are kind of sweeping; more so than any other track on the record in my opinion.

The issues I had with the record are that at times the songwriting felt pretty flat. I feel like Spiritbox didn't really do enough to stand out from the crowd, falling into the pitfalls that many mainstream metal records tend to do these days. For example, the drum and guitar tones sound incredibly run-of-the-mill. Additionally, there are times where the band sounds like they are hopping on the modus operandi of their contemporaries. Case in point, the song Secret Garden features sections that sound almost too reminiscent of Vildjharta and Animals As Leaders. However, one thing I can say for sure without reservation is that vocalist Courtney LaPlante is a force. I feel like she gave us everything, elevating even some of the most mundane songs with her angelic voice and terrifying screams. The use of electronics on this record also led to some of the most memorable moments on this record. The pads were richly textured to the point where it actually added a lot of atmosphere to the songs instead of being an unnecessary layer. The quirkier uses, like on Yellowjacket, were instantly ear-grabbing, and the sequenced percussion often enhanced the groove factor on some tracks. Thanks to these elements, I think their debut turned out to be a pretty good effort. I would love to see them move forward and try to carve out a sound that is a little more distinct and recognizable beyond having the charismatic Courtney LaPlante leading the helm.