Label: Wild Thing Records
Release Date: November 24, 2023
Genre: Metal
Links: https://futurestatic.net/
Line Up:
Amariah Cook – Lead Vocals
Kira Neil – Bass / Backing Vocals
Ryan Qualizza – Guitar / Backing Vocals
Jack Smith – Guitar
Jackson Trudel – Drums
Tracklist:
1. Chemical Lobotomy
2. Venenosa
3. Roach Queen
4. Icarus
5. …And The Walls That Were Built
6. Waves
7. Iliad feat. Luke Taylor of Heartline
8. Will I?
9. The Hourglass
10. Halfway Across The World
11. Plated Gold feat. Sean Harmanis of Make Them Suffer
12. The Embers
“If you like bands such as Jinjer and Spiritbox, then I guarantee you will get into Future Static. Future Static is melodic, with grit in the scream, and clean vocals that make you hold onto a breath just to hear them. The guitars, bass, and drums are all technically sound, and they have a beautiful tandem motion that makes this album what it is.
From the moment I put it to play, I was hooked. The metal, prog, alt-rock honesty in this album is sure to drive this band to a level this band deserves.
I’ve played it numerous times while going to review it because I just can’t get enough. Ironically reviewing it around the same time as the new Spiritbox album, I am enjoying going between the two. I can see these bands touring together. I can honestly see this band blowing up the charts and the numbers. I really hope they tour in the US at some point too. At about 42ish minutes by my count, the album is the perfect length, and the songs are placed in the perfect order.
Credit: Andrew Basso
This album is a visceral experience, representing residing in a state of limbo and emptiness, fitting as this album was mostly written during the COVID lockdowns. You can tell there’s more to the story than just angry music. From the soft moments to the heavy moments, it’s an album that leaves you wanting more. I imagine the only thing better than listening to it is seeing it live.
Chemical Lobotomy – hitting with an almost pop-rock attractive guitar riff, the vocals come in clean. But wait, around 1:25 they hit the “metal” pedal, and whatever you thought you might get, changes completely in a way that only a metalhead would get. I like the breakdown in this song; I feel it really complements the structure of the song. I like the vocals a lot in this tune. It’s something special.
Venenosa – Hits hard right off the bat, has an instant feel of early Jinjer to me, “I Speak Astronomy” is what comes to mind. The rhythm and tempo changes in this song really add an element to switch it up; however, you’ll keep your head nodding up and down, and if you air drum or strum, you will most definitely be doing it during this song.
Roach Queen – The drums and guitars play a dance in this song, but then the vocals do the same. It’s a nice back and forth, with the mix between clean and scream, the melodies and harmonies are beautifully done, all while maintaining that metal band. I like the softer parts in this song, and the drums around the three-minute mark do this fill that really fits.
Icarus – The drums are the cherry on top for me on this one. I feel like they give the song that oomph that really belongs here. I just keep going back to the vocals; Cook gives this a sound that makes it hard to imagine anyone else singing on this track. The bass on this track makes me want to move. It really flows with the song nicely. It almost has a Paramore feel but heavier. This track stuck out to me when I was first listening through; I went back and listened to this one a few times.
…And The Walls That Were Built – this is the first track where it’s obvious there’s some programming being done. But it fits overall. I like the single guitar notes in this song a lot; in fact, the guitar in general in this song is great. Another nod to the harmonies on this track.
Waves – Unlike the previous song, this one hits you in the face right away, and it stays strong. I like the interplay of clean and scream in this song; it’s done in such a way that it doesn’t feel like they couldn’t figure out what to do – so let’s scream? OK, I keep bringing up the harmonies on this album, but it’s really good stuff! I like the switch at the end of this song, an almost key change, but then no gusto, the song ends.
Iliad – Short and sweet, I love how this song starts with a Nirvana-esque plug in the guitar. This song has a punk and metal feel, and you don’t get a break at all; get on for the ride and stay until the end. This song is inching up as my favorite on the album.
Will I? – The song gives a reprieve from the heavy-hitting, with a soft synth sound, and a driving prog drum beat; it really hits the heartstrings. The vocals hint at metal grit, but there’s a feeling you can almost see, that you don’t always see when the scream hits. The build-up in the song to the about two-minute mark when the song changes is haunting. The guitar solo in this song soars above it all; it’s a powerful way to end the song. The lyrics in this song are relatable; I can appreciate this song on a deeper level.
The Hourglass – Another hard-hitting heavy song, but vocals height is shown here too, in ways that haven’t been tested so far. I like the mid-song changes, from the vocal staccato to the key change.
Halfway Across The World – A short but sweet acoustic track, showing off the vulnerability this band has to offer.
Plated Gold – The mix of punk and rock, with screams…very interesting but it works really well! I think there’s a male screamer in this one too. This song is definitely on top of the list of songs I went back to.
The Embers – To me, this song is a beautiful way to end the album. The song isn’t hard; there’s a nakedness to the vocals, and guitars that feel empowering for about half the song. But wait, you didn’t think you’d get away without some metal…we have a little bit, but then we go back to this beautiful ballad of a song, if you can call it that. This song is by far my favorite. The lyrics, the mood, the aural balance…everything hits sonically about this song.”
Written by: Chris Rugowski
Ratings: 10/10
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