SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: LIKE MOTHS TO FLAMES – THE CYCLES OF TRYING TO COPE

LIKE MOTHS TO FLAMES
THE CYCLES OF TRYING TO COPE
UNFD

For the past decade, Like Moths to Flames have stayed at the top of their game within the cutthroat world of what is metalcore. Exploring morality and the inner struggle of negative emotions, Like Moths to Flames have always found a way with their unique sense of visceral edge, captivating atmospheric tension, and crafty sense of melodicism to explore these dark pockets of emotional struggle while giving the listener room to explore their own as well. While No Eternity In Gold was an album that revitalized their core sound and identity as a band, their new release, The Cycles of Trying to Cope, delves deeper into the chaotic minefield of mental self-destruction, including the coping cycles of “Limbo”, “Fracture”, “Disassociate”, and “Melancholia”. The Cycles of Trying to Cope draw from these chapters a sense of ugliness and beauty that lurk within this journey and how, from the dark, one can reach the light.

“Angels Weep” and “Paradigm Trigger” start this gripping concept record of self-reflection. More sophisticated, atmospheric, and technically obscure in their approach than ever before, Like Moths to Flames have brought an air of layered dissonance to their unhinged and impassioned approach to metalcore. While the band has never been afraid to test the waters with more melodic and ethereal territories, as proven with 2017’s Dark Divine, The Cycles of Trying to Cope is an experimentation of its heavier, progressive elements and atmospheric textures, something that continues to beautifully bloom and keep the listener invested with each experience.

“Over The Garden Wall” continues to paint a more dense and eerie fantasy. With its unusual and haunting guitar melodies dancing with emotionally agitated vocals, Like Moths to Flames has taken the time to reflect how these emotions sound and feel in these tracks, especially in moodier ballads like “Gone Without a Trace” and “Dissociative Being”. Much more denuded pieces yet still retain much of that sharpness that a lot of the tracks still possess up to this point. Like Moths to Flames seems to have a much more visceral and fueled approach to their instrumental and vocal balance. There is much more focus on the dynamics of his harsh and carnal roars, and when attached to big melodic hooks in these moments, it’s a thing of magic on this record.

The fangs of their creative brilliance and production show in tracks such as “The Shepherd’s Crown”, “To Know is To Die”, and “Kintsugi”. These moments on the album feel undeniably crisp and lyrically powerful, where the band has created a sense of musical and vocal unity on each of these tracks. Each carries a different impact of emotional weight within its presence, with a massive wall of sound drenched in technical drum work, distorted guitar riffs, and thick bass lines that create a sense of anticipation and build-up for the last remaining four tracks on the album.

“Everything That Once Held It Together” and “The Depths I Roam” are two of the best tracks on The Cycles of Trying to Cope. Two rich experiences full of twists and turns, colossal guitar riffs, memorable soaring choruses, and crushing double-kick drum patterns, Like Moths to Flames demonstrate not only why they remain one of the most experienced and talented bands in the genre, but also why they stand out as one of the top-tier acts for showcasing some of the most complex passages within their sound without losing themselves in the process.

The Cycles of Trying to Cope concludes with annihilating events, “What Do We See When We Leave This Place?” and the additional track “Soul Exchange”. A mix of profound metalcore intensity and exquisite melodic pop cadence, Like Moths to Flames delivers an astounding parting performance that surely does not disappoint up until the very last tune.

The Cycles of Trying to Cope is more than simply a captivating musical voyage through bellicose, ambient, and vocal soundscapes. It is a deep experience about seeking to locate the light in a world full of darkness, the good inside the evil, and similar to the discordant musical layers heard on this record, the different emotions one encounters throughout life. If one can gradually restore those aspects of oneself, much like a kintsugi, there is a possibility of becoming whole again. The Cycles of Trying to Cope addresses these issues by bringing together these complex emotions and various musical threads to create not just one of their finest records to date, but also a fantastic concept album.

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