Future Static – Liminality
Release Date: 24th November 2023
Label: Wild Thing Records
Bandcamp
Genre: Metalcore
FFO: Spiritbox, Dying Wish.
Review By: Jeff Finch
There’s this giant piece of land out in the middle of the Southern Pacific Ocean, so far away from the rest of the world that there are humorous rumors of its non-existence, whose chief export is enjoyed worldwide: excellent music. From metalcore stalwarts Parkway Drive to deathcore chaos courtesy of A Night in Texas, all the way to worldwide dominance by none other than AC/DC, the sheer volume of stellar music that comes from Australia is staggering. So, to come across an Aussie bands debut album as it’s being released is a momentous occasion; such is the case here with Melbourne quintet Future Static, about to drop their debut record on the world. In a genre full positively rife with immense talent, Future Static still manages to impress with Liminality, even if it doesn’t reinvent the wheel, so to speak.
At first glance, what Future Static brings to the table appears to have been done before, many times and in many ways: musically, the riffs are fast, upbeat, full of tempo shifts, the drums are punchy, alternating from blast beats to double bass to pounding fills, while the bass just pops from the speakers, and lead vocalist Amariah Cook does her darnedest to stick out where Emma Bosten of Dying Wish and Courtney LaPlante of Spiritbox already reside. And you know what? All of that that’s just been listed, it’s true, and it’s why the band has succeeded so well here with Liminality. Sure, the music is not going to be anything mind-blowing, but the riffs are clean, they chug with ferocity and a frenetic pace throughout; on the track Venenosa, listeners are treated to dueling guitars whose combination makes for a blistering opening, before suddenly chugging in the background as blast beats pummel during Cook’s cleans, before completely shifting into reverse. Vocally, then, Cook unleashes her shouts as the drums slow, matching the tempo and beat of the guitars, an onslaught courtesy of every member of the band.
Iliad takes that same intensity and ratchets it up a few notches, feedback coursing through the speakers, warning us what’s to come, as the drums are physically destroyed, Cook’s vocals kept lower in the mix until they’re unleashed in a frenzy of layering, tortured in their intensity, almost to the breaking point, as the band behind her continues a sonic barrage, fitting as many notes as they can into such a short time frame, a ripping solo let loose before a minute is up, ushering in a brief calm, of sorts, vocals a speak-scream while the drummer goes ape, preceding a mammoth breakdown where, vocally, Cook shrieks her way into our brain, undoubtedly the heaviest moment of the entire record.
Almost making one question whether they’re listening to the same band,…And The Walls That Were Built introduces electronic elements into the fold, allowing Cook to showcase her impressive clean vocals, a bit lower in the mix allowing the incredibly clean guitar passages to shine through, progressive in their melodies and cleanliness, no note played without the strongest of intent behind it, effectively a long solo that happens to occur alongside equally intentional cleans, arguably one of the standout tracks despite the complete difference in sound from the previously aforementioned bangers.
And there, my friends, is where Future Static succeeds; at the drop of a hat, they’re capable of switching sounds, from thrashing and breakdowns to squeaky clean progressive metal and pop, and not one time does it sound forced. What the band manages to do with their sounds, even if it feels like you’ve heard it all before, is flip things on their heads; clean vocals on top of blast beats, screams / shouts over clean guitars and restrained drumming, they experiment with tempo shifts and layering and changing our expectations for what to expect on a metalcore record in 2023. Though, again, they aren’t reinventing the wheel, what they’re doing is taking a tried and true formula and adding their own spin on it; the sounds we already know are still there, but they’re used in such a way that it sounds fresh. And, honestly, in a sub-genre that can get stale quickly, as metalcore can, that freshness goes a long way, If Future Static adds even more to their repertoire for their next release, expect them to stay in the spotlight for a very long time.
(4 / 5)
