Future Static – Liminality (Album Review)
Future Static - Liminality Released: November 24h, 2023Lineup:Amariah Cook // Lead vocalsKira Neil // Bass and vocalsJackson Trudell // DrumsRyan Qualizza // Guitars and backing vocalsJack Smith // GuitarsFuture Static Online:FacebookInstagram/XWebsiteThis is yet another one of those albums that I am ecstatic that I persisted with for more than a few cursory run-throughs. On initial few listens, it came across as somewhat of a generic metalcore album, but upon further investigation and experience, upon deeper subsequent listens, it reveals itself as anything but. Which is to say that, if you enjoy metalcore, this record will catch your attention. But it is its uniqueness, its idiosyncrasy and its quality that will hold it for many listens. It is an album of depth, an album of dynamics, an album of twists and turns, of emotional peaks and valleys, of songwriting nous, cleverness and imagination.It is an album that, if there is any justice in the fickle musical universe, will put this band on the global heavy music map.One of several things that sets this band apart from the soundalike pack is the sheer emotional punch it packs. And I’m not just talking about the positive, channelled anger that flows like a tsunami from the grooves of this record. I’m also talking about the riveting impassioned manner in which this band delivers its music to your ears, mind and psyche, best exemplified in the superb ‘…And the Walls that Were Built’, a tune that will go down as one of the songs of 2023 and gives one the ‘feels’ more every time you listen to it, and beautiful, emotive tracks like ‘Will I’, and closer ‘The Embers’ (both of which manage to be both heavy and emotional.) It truly does make your hair stand on end.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E98IOdcnB-YSomething else that differentiates FutureStatic from the rest is that the band features what can only really be described as a twin-female vocal attack. While frontwoman Amariah Cook handles the bulk of the lead vocals, both clean and unclean (and does so with monumental skill and spirit), bassist Kira Neil’s dulcet voice drops in on a very regular basis to both complement and offset Cook’s untamable histrionics. I’m not sure if this vocal approach is completely unique in the heavy music world, but it’s pretty damn rare, and another reason to open your eyes, ears and mind to this band’s presentation.At the other end of the spectrum, you have a track like ‘Plated Gold’, which is an absolute barnstorming powerhouse of a song, featuring a throat-ripping guest spot from Sean Harmanis from Make Them Suffer, no less. ‘Iliad’ rips the flesh from your bones with its relentless intensity and bone-crushing breakdowns too, and also features a guest vocal from a heavy singer of note, Luke Taylor from Heartline.Something you often don’t get access to with pre-release album streams is the lyrics, so, beyond what I can gather myself without them, I’m not privy to the ideas, themes and concepts this album explores in a lyrical sense. What I can say is, whatever it is that Cook and Neil are saying, boy oh boy oh boy do they mean it. Their commitment to their vocals and their ideas is absolute, and cannot be questioned, both delivering their lines with a passion that is deeply affecting and gets completely under your skin.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDVVN_ZAFzoSomething I’m surprised is not present on this album is the cover single they released several months ago, an utterly blistering and convincing take on the global hip-hop hit of 2004, Daddy Yankee’s ‘Gasolina’ - a track with almost 130,000 views on YouTube, a track that has brought enormous attention the band’s way. Some potential fans may be expecting to hear this on this record. A missed opportunity? Time will tell.
[wpadcenter_ad id='171758' align='center']
Not that it needs it, however, not that this album is lacking in ideas and songs. Liminality features 12 absolute bangers, no filler (even the brief acoustic/vocal interlude ‘Halfway Across the World’ is beautiful, and could have been longer), not a weak track to be heard. Not even a weak moment.So, in this instance at least, if you’re one of those types who dismisses a band or an album based on vacuous catchphrases like ‘generic metalcore’, it’s time to get over yourself and delve a little deeper. Wrap your ears around this album, get inside it, let it immerse you with its power and passion. The ultimate rewards are tremendous, and you will not regret it.Thank me later . . .
Future Static – Liminality tracklisting
- Chemical Lobotomy
- Venenosa
- Roach Queen
- Icarus
- …And The Walls That Were Built
- Waves
- Iliad feat. Luke Taylor of Heartline
- Will I?
- The Hourglass
- Halfway Across The World
- Plated Gold feat. Sean Harmanis of Make Them Suffer
- The Embers
Rating: 9/10Liminality is out November 24th via Wild Thing Records. Pre-Order Here.Review by Rod Whitfieldhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4a6KwesDcZg
