The Gloom in the Corner – Royal Discordance
Release Date: 27th February 2026
Label: SharpTone Records
Order/Stream
Genre: Metalcore
FFO: Psycho-Frame, Justice for the Damned, Diamond Construct.
Review By: Jeff Finch
The Gloom in the Corner are a band whose introduction to my ears is this one right here, the upcoming Royal Discordance. Metalcore as a genre is already an interesting piece of music but throw in the term ‘cinematic’ and the floodgates open. It means this isn’t just another heavy metalcore release, it’s a vividly dramatic, emotionally volatile experience that proves the band can devastate at full throttle and in complete stillness.
Vocally, Mikey Arthur delivers what had to be considered the strongest performance of the band’s career, the incredible display of range from anguished, psyche-ripped shrieks to haunting clean croons not just impressive, but purely intentional. The screams claw through the mix with desperation, while the cleans feel ghostly and intimate, like dissociation given melody. The push and pull between the two becomes the backbone of the album.
Instrumentally, the riffs are densely serrated, the speed and precision of Metalcore fused with the unforgiving weight of deathcore. Tremolo riffs keep tension high in the verses, and when the breakdowns land, they don’t just hit, they crush the jugular. Stuttering stop-start drums, halftime detonations, and perfectly placed silence make the breakdown drops feel structural rather than gimmicky, intentional in their power and not in their obvious focus (still looking at you Lorna Shore).
The closing stretch is where the album elevates itself.
Shadow Rhapsody II leans heavily into Sleep Token territory and, love them or hate them, this is high praise. Cleans, piano, and orchestral elements create a moody, almost sacred atmosphere before a sick, well-earned breakdown cuts through the elegance. It’s beauty colliding with violence, while Assassination Run is simply heavy as hell. Punishing riffs, relentless drumming, and one of the filthiest breakdowns on the record, it also had the misfortune of carrying the lion’s share of the album’s cringe moments, with flashes of faux machismo in the lyrics. It’s the one real blemish, but the sheer musical execution makes it forgivable.
Our final two tracks somehow see the band elevate themselves even beyond what they’ve done so far. Love I A Quaver Through the Pale is exceptional. For nearly half the track, it’s just vocals and piano. The restraint is bold, and the cleans are genuinely stirring. Subtle orchestration builds into something weightier without losing that despondent mood. It’s proof the band doesn’t need constant heaviness to command attention, while our finale, the aptly titled Love II A Walk Amongst the Poppy Field firmly completes a stretch that cements something important: this band is just as good with cleans as they are with harsh vocals, just as effective in slow-burning, piano-driven passages as they are with blast beats and beefy breakdowns. These final songs are cinematic and devastating; they break your bones and your heart. Mikey’s cleans, peppered with piercing screams at just the right moments, push these tracks from excellent to inspiring.
As mentioned previously, the only real complaint across the album is that occasional cheesy lyricism. Brief flashes of try-hard bravado that don’t quite match the emotional nuance elsewhere can be forgiven, though, for musically and vocally, this album sees the band operating at a near-peak level. Brutal when it needs to be. Vulnerable when it matters. The Gloom in the Corner have crushed this.
(4.5 / 5)
