Album/EP

Fixation – Speak In Tongues (Album Review)

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Heavy Metal Wordsmith

Oct 14, 2024

7 min read

Fixation - Speak In Tongues
Released: October 11, 2024

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There are some absolute hidden gems in the Norwegian music scene, and one of those is Fixation. Knocking down doors in 2020, the newcomers quickly left their mark with their debut EP, Global Suicide, and followed it up with their debut full-length, More Subtle Than Death.

Now the band is back with their second studio album Speak In Tongues. With such a strong start to their career, it was always going to be tough to follow up but the five-piece has taken on the challenge.

Gazing upon the track listing, the 8 songs are a little deceptive to the overall length of the release. With four full-length tracks, broken up by small interludes, it is a relatively short listen but that is not necessarily a bad thing, as long as it's executed well. Especially as this is a concept album that explores the story of somebody who feels excluded in the world and ends up joining a cult. Only to realise that the cult environment is no different. This leads them to start their own cult, but like all patterns and cycles, they are also doomed to repeat this loss of identity.

Starting with ‘{grow a flower}’, a little instrumental intro that quickly drags us into ‘Random Acts Of Violence’- the vocal effects give an almost pop feel. Showing they are not afraid to tap into the sounds that are starting to become a signature in this current era of modern heavy.

It does not sit in that digital pocket too long, breaking out into a heavy, more riff-forward verse. Frontman Jonas W Hansen gives us a varied vocal delivery, switching from his raspier yells to a soulful and clean sound. His voice provides a soothing vocal melody, in complete sync with the building nature of the guitars throughout. It follows that formulaic song structure that has become standard in leading acts like Bring Me The Horizon. All in all, it is a solid track with a catchy chorus.

Hitting us with the next little interlude, ‘{pick the petals}’, an interlocking floral motif across the samples is becoming evident. Providing less of a segue between songs, this one acted as a full stop before the sonically more furious ‘Blue Skies’ thundered through. Not losing melody though, bass player Øyvind Lunde gets his moment to shine, providing a rhythmic spine for guitarists Martin S Selen and Tobias Østerdal to dance over.

‘Tyrannical Miracle’, the second single off the release leans into the synths, creating a full-bodied and overall rich soundscape with the instrumentals. Riff-wise, they have been able to repurpose the style of guitaring that was popular in early to mid 00’s melodic metalcore and blend it with the current sound. It dips thematically into what feels like a critique of scepticism and this is the moment that as a listener, I started to pick up on the religious and spiritual language and motifs within the lyrics.

The hymn-like interlude of ‘{blood still on the grass}’, strengthened the religious motifs. It is a tone of questioning and critique. The use of language by Hansen in his lyrics would make a high school English teacher proud. The only thing more poetic is his delivery and the album closer ‘Fever Dreaming’ solidifies that.

There is a wonderful harmony between the vocals and the instrumentation that just envelops the ears. The way the vocals dip in and out over the simple, clean guitars. The way the samples build and eventually, it rips into a more raw and less processed sound in the first chorus. From start to finish it is an emotionally charged track that does a wonderful job at portraying the soul within the lyrics. It sounds like a sonic representation of a crisis of faith, switching between vibes of calmness and a sense of urgency- which honestly, is pretty on theme for this whole release.

Coming into this album not having been too exposed to Fixation’s prior discography, I feel that I’ve been able to pick up on their influences and inspirations. It is so refined, so clean and so well-written, it almost works against them. The only thing that eats at me is that while this album is wonderfully written and they are brilliant musicians, I cannot quite shake that I've heard this album before. There are moments of rawness littered throughout that allow a little glimpse at the band's uniqueness and I did often wish in moments that they leant more into it.

But this band is young and so full of talent and Speak In Tongues has me emotionally invested in their journey. I can’t wait to see what they do next.

Fixation – Speak In Tongues tracklisting

1. {grow a flower}
2. Random Acts Of Violence
3. {pick the petals}
4. Blue Skies
5. {tear it's thorns off}
6. Tyrannical Miracle
7. {blood still on the grass}
8. Fever Dreaming

Rating: 8.5/10
Speak In Tongues is out now via Indie Recordings. Listen here.
Review by Kayla Hamilton @kaylazomboid